Clouded by the Dark Force
by Chrono Eternal
Summary: Crono and the rest set out on another adventure after finding that some allies (and enemies) are being control by a mysterious force. The seven heroes must discover the identity of the Dark Force and destroy it...before it clouds their minds as well.
1. The Orb of Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Author's Note: This story takes place a month after the events of Chrono Trigger, with all sidequests completed, and Magus recruited.  
  
  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
The Orb of Life  
  
"Crono, you have served this kingdom well. I am terribly sorry I've tried to kill you in the past, but I had no idea you were trying to save the future from a creature trying to destroy the planet. Do you forgive me?" said King Guardia XXXIII.  
  
Crono nodded his head. In case you don't know, Crono is a teenager with a funky hairdo. He and his friends had once saved the world from a creature known as Lavos, who was trying to absorb energy from our planet and take over Earth. Yet, Crono and his friends traveled through time and destroyed the monster.  
  
"We're fine, Father. We're great," Princess Nadia, the King's daughter answered for Crono. He was mute so Nadia ended up doing most of the talking for him.  
  
"But there must be something I can do for you. You can have any of my riches. Or maybe you could be the Mayor of Truce? That can be arranged. Would you prefer another city in Guardia? There's always..."  
  
Crono shook his head to stop the King. Then he pointed to Nadia.  
  
"Daddy...Crono and I...we're...we're...we're getting married," said Nadia.  
  
The King's face was in shock. He was about to scream no, but then he knew that his daughter was truly serious. "Well, you're...you're far to young," started the King.  
  
"Oh, father, we know that! But I'm a normal teenager, too, Daddy. I'm not just a princess. I just want to have a little fun," explained Nadia.  
  
"And I'm not going to let my daughter just walk off with some lad that might kidnap her and never let her come..." The King stopped himself. He had had Crono on trial before. It was just a painful time for everyone. He didn't want his daughter to leave him once again. "Okay, let me cut to the chase. There has been a special orb kept in the Royal Family of Guardia for over four hundred years. We call it the Orb of Life. Nadia, if you and Crono both put your hands on the Orb and it glows even more than it did when your mother, Queen Aliza, and I touched it, you and Crono are truly meant to be." The King went up to his room and returned to the throne with a glass orb in his hand. Then he handed it to Nadia and ordered, "Now, Crono, put your hands on the Orb, and Nadia, do not let go."  
  
The two did as they were told; yet the Orb of Life remained dull. The two felt great sorrow and despair and even the King was sad. And then, all of a sudden, there was a flickering. The Orb flickered some more, and then started to glow. It became brighter, and brighter, and brighter and soon it rose from Nadia's hands. It floated above Crono's head and bright light shone all over Crono. There was a big light blast.  
  
"So," Crono said, "Did Marle and I pass the test?"  
  
Princess Nadia, who likes to be referred to as Marle, looked at Crono in shock. "It must have been the Orb's magic," she thought. The King would think so but he was to busy asking Crono who Marle was.  
  
Crono replied, "Marle? Oh, I said Princess Nadia, it just came out Marle." The King had never called his daughter by Marle and probably never will.  
  
"Oh, dear, it's getting late. Crono, Nadia you better get to bed. Now go Nadia, to your room. Crono you may sleep in the Nights of the Square Table's chamber.  
  
"Father, it stinks down there..." said Nadia.  
  
"She's got a point. It smelled there since 600 AD," Crono added.  
  
"Six hundred AD? Children! You haven't been time-traveling again, have you?" questioned the King. He had lost his daughter once, and he did not wish to lose her again.  
  
Nadia replied, "No, but we'll always remember Frog. He'll never leave our hearts. Neither will any of our other time-traveling friends."  
  
"Well, you're not sleeping in the same bed, not yet. I could make a little cot or something for you, but that would be terribly rude," suggested the King.  
  
Crono said, "A cot sounds fine to me."  
  
"Well if you insist..."  
  
"I do. I'll sleep in a cot in Ma - Nadia's room. It didn't take long and soon, Crono and Nadia were fast asleep.   
  
* * *  
  
It was one-o'-clock, and in the shadows, a woman lurked. Though, a woman, she was the most famous burglar in Truce, and all of Guardia for   
  
that matter. The townsmen called her the Flaming Dart, for she was swift, carried a gun, and was fabled to have Fire Magic, but that was only a rumor. She approached the castle, seeing there were guards at all entrances. She had no choice but to wound and kill some, but she was known for that.  
  
The guards at the front entrance were not well trained, because the people assumed she was going to use a tricky passage, but the best-trained men guarded all those. She simple took out her gun and took the two down.  
  
She opened the door, or at least tried, but it was locked. She used her gun as a hammer, but it failed to break through the door; it only attracted guards to the front door, right at the end of Guardia Forest.  
  
"Flame Toss!" she shouted.  
  
The Flaming Dart used a fire technique, but it was not magic. Some fire had shot out of her bun; it was a simple magic trick. However, she would need to use her Fire Magic very badly. Like told before, there were man guards at the front gate, waiting for the Flaming Dart to appear. When seeing them the Flaming Dart groaned. She could not believe her stupidity.  
  
"Napalm!" she yelled, and through grenades at the soldiers. She had wounded most of them, but she had not defeated them all.  
  
"Fire!" the Flaming Dart yelled as she finally used a Fire Magic technique. It took out the other guards. She knew more soldiers were coming so she used another magic attack. "Fire 2!" Even more fire than the first time shot out of her hand and it took out of her hand. By now, she had caught most of the room on fire. Yet, she had still not woken the King, Crono, or Nadia. It was the princess's room she wanted to get to.  
  
  
  
She eventually made it to their room, only having to use a few more bomb attacks; the Fire Magic attacks had blocked the path to where she was heading. The Flaming Dart searched the room, trying to find a precious tem to her: the Orb of Life. Ah! There it was. It was right on the counter, next to Crono's cot.  
  
"Yes! The Orb of Life!" she yelled, forgetting she was on a secret mission. The scream had awakened Crono and Nadia.  
  
"Hmm... Ah! Crono! The Orb!" screamed Nadia.  
  
Crono said, "Don't worry, Marle! She's mine! I'll use my sword attacks that should be enough!"  
  
"Yeah, your physical attacks are stronger than mine. I'll use my Water Magic attacks," said Marle. She, like the Flaming Dart, had magical attacks. Yet, the Flaming Dart's attacks are Fire, and Marle's are considered Water, even though they are based on ice.  
  
Crono grabbed his Wood Sword.  
  
"Crono! A wooden sword! Where's the Rainbow Katana?" Marle asked, wondering why Crono was not carrying his ultimate weapon.  
  
Crono replied, "I...I...I put it into storage." Then he yelled, "Spincut!" He jumped into the air using his wooden sword. The Flaming Dart was more than prepared for this.  
  
"Flame Toss!" she yelled. Before Crono could even touch her, the flaming dart burned away the Wood Sword.  
  
"Let a woman handle this," said Marle. After that she shouted, "Ice!" A big block of ice almost fell onto the Flaming Dart.  
  
"Fire!" Quickly, the Flaming Dart had melted the ice. The same thing happened next.  
  
"Ice 2!"  
  
"Fire 2!"  
  
Marle wasn't about to give up; neither was the Flaming Dart. "Lets finish this," said the Flaming Dart. "Flare!"  
  
Flare was the ultimate Fire Magic attack. Whatever wasn't burning in the room were complete ashes!"  
  
"Aura," Marle barely said, trying to cast a healing spell.  
  
"Cyclone!" shouted Crono.  
  
"AURA WHIRL!" they both yelled. Marle put her healing spell, Aura, on Crono's sword. Crono spun around fast with his sword, which would usually make a Cyclone attack. Instead, it healed both him and Marle, but not that much. This was called a Dual Technique.  
  
"Maybe I can use my magic on her. She can't destroy Lightning with Fire. Marle, you should probably use your physical attacks. The Valkereye bow is strong and swift, she should be able to destroy an arrow shot by that with her Fire Magic," Crono suggested. He had already started to use his Lightning Magic.  
  
"Lightning!" he yelled, and the Flaming Dart dodged the bolt of lighting. "C'mon, Marle, use the Valkereye!" he commanded, and the shouted,   
  
  
  
"Lightning 2!" This time bolts of lighting shot out from his body. This time the Flaming Dart was hit, but she still had some fight left in her.  
  
"Crono...I...I...I put it into storage," said Marle.  
  
"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Well, she's weak. I'll finish her off with the ultimate Magic attack. Luminaire!" he shouted. A green ball of energy formed in Crono's hands, and he shot it at the Flaming Dart. Marle got out her Bronze Bow, but it was too late; the battle was over.  
  
"Wow!" exclaimed Crono. "The soldiers of Guardia have been trying to get the Flaming Dart for weeks, and I knocked her out while I was still half asleep!"  
  
"Let's unmask her. I'm dying to see she she really is!" said Marle excitedly.  
  
"Maybe, Marle, but we should dismantle all her means of hurting us first," suggested Crono. "She might wake up when we pull her mask off, but she'll be unable to hurt us without her equipment. The fire's not quite out. You should try using Ice on it and see if it goes out."  
  
Marle did as Crono suggested. The ice melted into water and put out the fire. Then, they began to un-equip the Flaming Dart.  
  
They started by taking her weapon, a Wonder Shot. "Hmm...isn't this the gun Lucas made with the Sun Stone, Crono?" Marle asked, recalling an adventure.  
  
Crono nodded. He took off her armor and helmet, leaving her in a leotard. She was equipped with the Taban Armor and Taban Helmet. These clothes were only wearable by Crono's best purple-haired friend, Lucca. Her father, Taban, made them especially for her. He looked at some of her accessories. There was a Sight Scope, which Lucca had carried. He also found the Sun Shades, which the Flaming Dart had equipped during the fight. Taban had also made the pair of glasses with the Sun Stone that Lucca had used to make the Wonder Shot. He also found the Green Dream. The Green Dream was a tiny seed that was thought to not have much power. Crono and Marle knew Lucca had the Green Dream equipped the night they met their robot friend, Prometheus R-66Y, better known as Robo, once again, for he had saved a forest taking 400 years to do so. "Yep," said Crono, "The Flaming Dart has definitely visited Lucca. How else could she have all these weapons and accessories?"  
  
"Okay, enough of un-equipping her. Let's see who she really is!" shouted Marle.  
  
Crono removed her mask from her face. Both Crono and Marle saw the face of someone they knew very well, but never expected to be behind the mask of the Flaming Dart. It was...  
  
"LUCCA!" Marle gasped.  
  
Crono and Marle heard the sound of clinking footsteps. It was the sound of the soldiers that fought the fire and made it up the stairs. "Phew! The guards finally made it. I was worried the battle force had fallen."  
  
"Marle! Be serious! They'll put Lucca on an unfair trial and send her to the dungeon. They'll kill her!" shouted Crono.  
  
"Well...she has been pretty bad..." said Marle.  
  
"Marle! You should be ashamed of yourself, thinking about killing Lucca! Gosh... The fake chancellor might be gone, but she is a criminal! I've known Lucca all of my life. My mom and Mrs. Ashtear have been like sisters to each other. I'm not going to get her killed!" exclaimed Crono.  
  
Marle considered, "Okay...but how do we get out? They're blocking the way to the front door. I would bash the window, but my arrows are well -"  
  
"In storage," finished Crono. "I know. Well, I could climb up to the window if I stuck my sword on the wall. It'd be difficult to get out to slash the window, because there's no ledge. Oh wait, my sword's gone..."  
  
Both heard the sound of clinking armor coming closer. They were hesitating. What could they do? The guards were almost at the door. Crono grabbed the Wonder Shot, pulled the trigger, and the bullet destroyed the window. The three (they were pulling Lucca) escaped, but there was a long fall. They braced themselves and didn't get hurt too bad, yet they had been spotted.  
  
"The Princess is being kidnapped again!" "Nadia, my love, I knew he was no good for you!" "The Flaming Dart!" "What does the King see in that boy?" "I want to retire!" the guards were shouting. The last shout was, "Go to the dragons! We'll catch them!"  
  
"Dragons? Whatever happened to the ponies?" Crono asked.  
  
"Quick! We're going to my secret dragon stable!" exclaimed Marle.  
  
"Speak for yourself! You're not carrying your best friend!" Crono said in rage.  
  
Marle led him to a bush in Guardia Forest. There was a secret passageway behind it. "Boy, you sure can learn a lot from Frog, eh?" said Marle recalling how they're toad friend from 600 AD, Glenn, but more commonly known as Frog, had a secret passageway like this leading to his home in the Cursed Woods. The two climbed down a ladder. There, they found a stable with three dragons.  
  
"They haven't grown their wings yet; they're very young. They're actually very friendly and powerful, but the guards judged them by their age. They had them slaughtered, they say. I rescued them though. Here, it's not a happy home, but it's better than being caught by the soldiers," Marle explained. "Even though they haven't grown their wings yet, we can outrun the soldiers' dragons. I'll take Icy, the one with the blue bandana. Crono, you take Sparky, the one with the yellow bandana. Before you get seated, put Lucca on Fiery, the dragon with the red bandana."  
  
Crono did so. "Will Lucca be able to stay on?" he asked.  
  
"Oh yes, Fiery is very smart. She showed the others that they could absorb magic and use it. That's how they got their names. Sparky absorbs   
  
Lightning Magic, Icy absorbs Water Magic, and Fiery absorbs Fire Magic," explained Marle.  
  
"So, even though I can't use my Magic on Sparky, I can try, and Sparky will use it for me?" Crono questioned.  
  
Marle replied, "Exactly; just concentrate really hard and put your hands on Sparky."  
  
"We can go to my house to question her - Lucca I mean. Mom's still in the hospital, getting her brain checked, because she claimed to travel through time," suggested Crono.  
  
Marle giggled, "Remember when we found her at the End of Time? 'Crono? Why is an old man here? Is he another of your friends?' That was an unforgettable day!"  
  
"Where is the Princess?" "Nadia, don't run away from me!" "What have they done with the Flaming Dart?" They were hearing the guards. But this time it was not mixed with the sound of clinking armor, but the sound of dragon wings flapping.  
  
"Come on!" said Crono.  
  
The three dragons jumped out of the bush and made a run for Crono's house.  
  
"HORN RINGS!" the guards yelled. Purple rings shot out of the dragons' horns. Crono and Marle had to fight back. They put their hands on their dragon's neck, not too tight.  
  
Crono yelled, "Luminaire!"  
  
"Ice 2!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
Sparky and Icy used Crono and Marle's attacks. They had wiped out some dragons and soldiers.  
  
"We can use a Dual Tech!" suggested Crono.  
  
"That won't work! They can only use Magic attacks. We don't have a combination of Lightning and ice attacks. Lucca and I could use an Antipode attack, but she's knocked out," said Marle.  
  
"That's what you think!" said a familiar voice...Lucca! 


	2. Lucca: The Flaming Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 2:   
  
Lucca: The Flaming Love  
  
"So, you want to hit them with a Magic Duel Tech?" Lucca questioned. "I might be available."  
  
"An Antipode? Is that what you had in mind?" Marle asked.  
  
"Let's go for it!" exclaimed Lucca.  
  
"Ice!" shouted Marle.  
  
"Fire!" Lucca yelled.  
  
"ANTIPODE!" they both screamed. This time, Marle's Ice and Lucca's Fire came together and hit the knights and their dragons. They had taken several of them down, but there seemed to be an endless amount of them.  
  
"Lets use it again!" suggested Marle.  
  
"Stronger this time!" replied Lucca.  
  
"HATE CLAWS!" This time the soldiers' dragons shot out purple beams of light. They hit the dragons, but they would get payback.  
  
"Ice 2!" Marle yelled.  
  
"Fire 2!" Lucca screamed.  
  
They both shouted, "ANTIPODE 2!" This wiped out even more soldiers, but the endless amount remained.  
  
Lucca screamed, "I've had it! Let's get 'em Marle!"  
  
"Right! Ice 2!"  
  
"Flare!"  
  
"ANTIPODE 3!" There was severe damage done to the soldiers, but there still seemed to be more coming.  
  
Lucca was breathing hard, because of using the Antipode attacks. Don't forget that she had been knocked out earlier and was barely awake.  
  
"Luminaire!" Sparky shot a huge green ball at the soldiers. It had only done about as much damage as the Antipode 2 had done. "Guys...girls, whatever, look up. Do you see that really big, black cloud?" Crono said.  
  
"He speaks. It had to happen sooner or later," Lucca thought to herself.  
  
"Yeah!" responded Marle.  
  
"It's not a cloud," said Crono. "It a whole bunch of knights on dragons. We need to use a real strong attack that can get from down here to up there."  
  
"A Triple Tech!" shouted Marle.  
  
"Yeah, the Delta Force attack," said Lucca.  
  
"Let's go for it!" said Crono. "Lightning 2!" Sparky and Crono started to glow a bright yellow.  
  
"Ice 2!" shouted Marle. She and Icy started to glow a bright blue.  
  
The Lucca shouted, "Fire 2!" She and Fiery started glow.  
  
Then they all yelled, "DELTA FORCE!!!"  
  
The three made a gigantic triangular prism of Magic, reaching from the bottom of the Earth to the top of the sky. It took out practically all of the soldiers but more were far behind.  
  
"Let's go!" shouted Crono.  
  
They were now in eastern Truce where Crono's house was. Instead of going into the house, Crono lead everyone into the back yard...except for Lucca.  
  
"Lucca, bomb the door," he commanded.  
  
"Napalm," she said and threw grenades on the door.  
  
"It has to look like we barged through here," Crono explained. "Now! Into the cellar!"  
  
When they got into the cellar, Marle, Sparky, Icy, and Fiery were asleep.  
  
Crono said, "We'll finish this tomorrow, Flaming Dart." But Lucca was already fast asleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Lucca woke up un-equipped. "Hey? Where's my stuff? I thought Crono gave it back to me..."  
  
"You thought that didn't you, Lucca? Well, I thought you would never be the most famous criminal in Guardia. Well, we were both wrong, Miss Flaming Dart. Now explain!" Crono was giving Lucca a lecture.  
  
"Crono! You're being so unfair!" Lucca started, but then she saw her best friends glare at her without pity. "Robo...Robo's been hurt. I didn't dismantle the Epoch like I said I'd do after we found Crono's mom at the End of Time. I traveled to the Future, to see if Robo was doing okay. He was, he really was, and the Future was just as beautiful...no, no MORE beautiful than the Present, but..."  
  
Marle said, "Lucca, what happened?"  
  
Lucca sighed, "Here let my tell you the story.  
  
* * *  
  
"...And children of the Nation, I now declare that man and robot alike will treat each other with kindness and respect. No man is stronger and has more power than a robot and vice versa. Anyone who decides to have some law about "No Men" or "No Robots" will not be tolerated unless I have said otherwise. I appreciate all of you for coming to this speech, and believing in equality. Thank you," said Doan, the leader of the Future. He is an elderly man, and like most other people, was not healthy at all during the original Future, before we and our friends defeated Lavos.  
  
"Doan! Doan! DOAN!" I yelled.  
  
"Ah, Lucca, we haven't seen you for a while. What brings you here?" Doan asked.  
  
I replied, "I'm looking for Robo. Have you seen him?"  
  
Doan said nothing, but looked awfully confused.  
  
I realized that Doan probably never used the nickname we gave Robo so long ago, so I reworded my question, "I'm looking for Prometheus: 66Y. Have you seen him?"  
  
Doan pulled out a device. "Oh! Well I have this nifty robot tracker, being leader of this new nation and all. Okay...his serial number...66Y. What's his series?" Doan asked as he pushed buttons on his keypad.  
  
"Oh, he's an R-Series robot, sir," I replied. I didn't feel comfortable talking to Doan as if Robo was a toy, but I needed to find him.  
  
"Okay..." said Doan.  
  
"Search complete," said a mechanical sounding voice. It was Doan's "nifty device."  
  
"Prometheus: R-66Y? Why, Lucca, he was here just a bit ago. Right now it looks like he's going home," said Doan.  
  
"Geno Dome?" I questioned.  
  
"No, Lucca. He doesn't enjoy that life, but he has Proto Dome all to himself. I live in Geno dome, our birthplace, but it's much different from you might remember it," said another mechanical sounding voice. I looked and saw a pink humanoid with a green ribbon.  
  
"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" I asked.  
  
The robot replied, "You might remember me. I have been told that I worked for my at once evil mother and tried to stop you from defeating her. You defeated me instead. I am Atropos: XR. I haven't seen you in some time, Lucca."  
  
"Can you...take me to Robo, I mean Prometheus?" I asked.  
  
"Of course, it will not take long. Lab 32 is very clean, not like you might remember. Johnny, if you remember him, might want to race you. Still, the Jet Bike might make it quicker to get to Proto Dome from here, Arris Dome," explained Atropos. "Doan."  
  
Doan tossed Atropos the Jet Bike Key. Johnny was a human who loved extreme sports, but one day he got hurt, badly. However, they kept him alive by giving him humanoid armor. He couldn't participate in a lot of sports, but he uses his built-in wheels to race away.  
  
While Atropos and I were running towards Lab 32, I asked her, "So, how do you know my name? I mean, if we destroyed Lavos in 1999 AD, then how could you remember I came here, so long ago?"  
  
Atropos giggled and said, "I only go by what Prometheus and Doan tell me. They say they've traveled through time - to 1000 AD even! Sometimes I'm forced not to believe their stories. And Lucca, everyone knows you! You're the famous scientist that had the blueprints for the Man-Robot Armor Project that saved Johnny. You're a hero, Lucca!"  
  
"Atropos, do you use Enertrons?" I asked.  
  
Atropos replied, "No, not much anyway. We use them at hospitals, for humans... We, robots that is, don't need them. You see, robots can be repaired and reprogrammed; we don't die. Humans...do. They need the Enertron to stay alive. It's funny, but it seems like nothing has changed at all, that Lavos existed and all your work didn't go to waste. At Arris Dome, where we just were, do you remember the tree?"  
  
I replied, "Oh yes, the fruit looked delicious."  
  
"That was from the seed that you got from the storage room," said Atropos.  
  
"No! It can't be!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Prometheus has researched that for a long time. He has come to a conclusion: Lavos was not destroyed. Affirmative Lucca, I still do not believe him. Prometheus himself does not believe it, but it is the only theory he has come up with," explained Atropos.  
  
"Well if he's right," I thought, "it must be the work of the Entity."  
  
"Okay, Lucca, here we are. Johnny, are you there? Johnny? Johnny! Hmm...wow! I guess Johnny isn't here. That is a first. Come, follow me, are you still in possession of the Jet Bike Key?" Atropos said.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Let us go," said Atropos.  
  
It didn't take that long at all to get to Proto Dome. Lab 32 was more like a park with a racetrack, rather than a lab, except some scientists doing research on plants.  
  
When we arrived at Proto Dome, I started yelling, "Robo? Robo, are you there?"  
  
Atropos gave me a confused look.  
  
I rephrased my call, "Prometheus? Prometheus, are you there? Prometheus! I guess he's not here. Maybe we should take a look around."  
  
"Lucca, come quickly," said Atropos. "Prometheus is...he is...he is..."  
  
* * *  
  
Lucca started to cry.  
  
"Lucca, Lucca, what's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?" asked a worried Marle.  
  
"We found Robo and he was completely taken apart...malfunctioned...DEAD!" Lucca sadly yelled.  
  
"But, Lucca, you just said robots can't die...they didn't need the Enertron to survive," reassured Crono.  
  
"No! Something happened, and that's why I worked so hard to get the Orb of Life! It can bring Robo back to life, if I transfer the energy!" Lucca explained.  
  
Crono and Marle exchanged looks and nodded. Crono's serious face turned into a smile. "To the Epoch."  
  
"What made you change your mind about this?" Lucca asked.  
  
Marle smiled. "Lucca, you were the Flaming Dart, a caring Flaming Dart, and Lucca, you're not a harmful dart; you went back to show your love for Robo. You're the Flaming Love." 


	3. Back to the Future

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix. Nor do I own the title of this chapter; it belongs to whoever made the Back to the Future trilogy.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
Back to the Future  
  
"So, where's Epoch?" asked Marle.  
  
The Wings of Time, or Epoch was a time machine created by Belthasaur, the Guru of Reason. He had given them the Wings of Time when they no longer had access to a Gate, a worm hole that takes you through time, to the Dark Ages.  
  
"Behind my house," Lucca answered.  
  
Crono and Marle nearly fainted when they saw Epoch.  
  
"That's Epoch?" Crono asked.  
  
Epoch was really torn up, covered with mud. Part of a wing was broken; the whole thing was nearly in pieces.  
  
"So maybe I've time-traveled a little more than I described," said Lucca. "But it still flies wonderfully."  
  
The three got in Epoch. Lucca put a device called the Gate Key inside the Epoch. She started it up. The Wings of time got lifted off the ground and hovered for a while. About after five minutes, the Epoch started going through time.  
  
* * *  
  
CRASH!  
  
Epoch had fallen and crash-landed right into the earth of 2300 AD. "It flies wonderfully?" Crono asked, very madly.  
  
Lucca hesitated and pulled out a device. She spoke into it, "R-64Y, R-67Y, R-68Y, I need you here, pronto. We've had a little accident with the Wings of Time. We'll need to take it to the Keeper's Dome. Please bring Atropos: XR along with you ASAP. Over."  
  
"Belthasaur? C'mon, Lucca, you know why shut his memory banks down. Nobody know about the Guru of Reason anymore; he doesn't exist," Marle insisted. All of a sudden, four robots appeared.  
  
"Oh, here you are, guys. Here's Epoch. It's kind of messed up. Now how do we get to Keeper's Dome? We could use the Sewer Access, I suppose, but if we have to drag Epoch all the way through there, it might be difficult," Lucca said. "Oh, right, there's a land bridge, now that everything's straightened out. Oh, Crono, Marle, you might want to get some weapons. Your Wood Sword isn't exactly a sword anymore. Sorry. Alright, to Lab 16!"  
  
The group dragged the Epoch through Lab 16. Marle and Crono couldn't help but staring anything. It wasn't really a lab, but more like a park. Crono and Marle remembered it as being a dump with broken buildings and monsters, but now, it was filled with plants and some humans and robots doing experiments. When the group reached the other side of the Lab, they took separate directions. Crono, Marle, and Atropos went to Arris Dome to buy equipment. Atropos just came along to lead them back to Keeper's Dome. Lucca and the other robots headed towards Keepers Dome, planning to meet up with the others later.  
  
"You call this money? Well, it looks ancient, but it's probably worth something," the storekeeper said.  
  
"We'll need a Bolt Sword and a Robin Bow," Atropos told. The storekeeper gave Crono and Marle their weapons and they gave him the money.  
  
The threesome walked along across the land bridge, Marle and Crono stunned by the Future's beauty. No enemies bothered them. "...It almost makes you thing we wasted our money on those weapons..." Crono whispered to Marle.  
  
They finally reached Keeper's Dome and went inside. There, they found some robots working on Epoch, while Lucca was working a machine that was hooked up to the Orb of Life. Also in the room, they found Belthasaur as a human.  
  
"BELTHASAUR!" Marle screamed with shock.  
  
Belthasaur was originally one of the three Gurus from 12,000 BC (The Guru of Reason to be exact). When stumbling into a Gate, Belthasaur was transported into the Future. He lived off the Enertron for some time, but when he had no access to food, he died. However, he stored his memory banks inside a Nu, a large, round, blue creature that was, according to Belthasaur, the beginning and end of life and time. Now, the group found him in human form, with a Nu assistant, helping him whenever he may need.  
  
"Your Majesty, so nice to see you again," came the reply from Belthasaur.  
  
Marle blushed. She never liked being thought of a higher class than everyone else. "Please call me Marle, Belthasaur. If you don't mind me asking, why are you...you know..."  
  
"A human? Surely you must know that," came Belthasaur's reply. "When you destroyed Lavos, the future was restored the beauty you see now. I have food to eat to stay alive. As you might remember it though, I was in the form of Nubert, because I had died."  
  
"Nubert?" Marle questioned.  
  
"Do you not see the Nu who stands right next to you?" Belthasaur asked.  
  
"Oh!" Marle exclaimed, feeling stupid.  
  
"Wise Guru," said Crono, trying to be respectful, "I am not sure that I understand what we are doing here. Robots can't die...and Lavos can't still be living."  
  
"Sir Crono, I myself do not entirely understand the matter. I believe, though, something...something about Prometheus: R-66Y.something that you, Marle, and Lucca did gave him life. Perhaps he has a love of some sort," explained Belthasaur.  
  
"Like a love to Atropos?" asked Marle.  
  
"One hundred percent incorrect, Marle. Prometheus is my brother!" exclaimed Atropos.  
  
Marle blushed till she was more red than a tomato.  
  
"And as for Lavos," said Belthasaur, "I know nothing about. You fought him in a time portal. It is very likely that it could have just stayed alive and drifted off around the time portals."  
  
"One last thing, Wise Guru, how do you know who we are?" asked Crono.  
  
"I know for the same reason you know who I am," came the reply.  
  
"I do not understand, Wise Guru," said Crono.  
  
"Then perhaps you don't need to at the moment," said Belthasaur with a smile on his face.  
  
"All right, Belthasaur, the Ultra-Enertron is ready to go. It's hooked up with the Orb of Life. All we need now is Robo. Belthasaur? Belthasaur, what's wrong?" asked Lucca noticing how pale Belthasaur looked.  
  
"Prometheus...is not here." All the faces in the room were horror-struck at Belthasaur's words. "He was stolen...stolen by a creature that I thought could not enter here when under my sealing spell. But I got bad vibes when it came close to me. I could not use my mind powers on him, because he was a robot...but he seemed so human-like."  
  
"JOHNNY!" yelled Atropos. "It must be Johnny! But what would Johnny want with Prometheus...?"  
  
"I sensed a Dark Force clouding over the creature. Far more powerful than I could have imagined." said Belthasaur.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I'm going to rescue Robo!" exclaimed Lucca then she headed for the Jet Bike outside, and started it.  
  
"Wait for approximately nine seconds and forty-two nanoseconds, Lucca," said Atropos running after the Jet Bike.  
  
"I don't think we have much of a choice," said Crono. He and Marle jumped on the bike as well and they zoomed off towards the capital, Arris Dome.  
  
"Why are we going this way?" Marle asked Lucca, who was piloting the Jet Bike.  
  
"Doan will be there. He has a robot tracking system. Since Johnny is part robot, he should have a serial number, where we can track him," came Lucca's reply.  
  
* * *  
  
"Alright here's my nifty device, Lucca, just make sure to bring it back to me," said Doan once they had arrived at the capital.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll bring it back ASAP," said Lucca.  
  
They got back on the Jet Bike and were driving while still searching for Johnny.  
  
"What could his number be?" thought Lucca out loud.  
  
"I know, Lucca," said Atropos. "MAN."  
  
"MAN? Why would it be that?" asked Lucca.  
  
"Well we learned a long time ago, that you started the Man-Robot Armor Project. Back then, even hearing the word 'robot' was awful, for these were back in the times of slavery. So they simply changed the project to Man. It's been the only successful Man-project done, so it makes since if his serial number is MAN," explained Atropos.  
  
Lucca, with the wheel in one hand and the tracker in the other, searched for MAN. Sure enough it was Johnny's serial number. "It looks like he's in Mallow Dome? I've never heard of that before."  
  
* * *  
  
They arrived in Mallow Dome. When they entered, they were forced to battle some easy opponents, nothing that a slice of a sword and the shot of an arrow couldn't handle. But finally they had reached the center of the dome, where they could hear Johnny's voice.  
  
"Hah! The thing that gave him life! Completely destroyed!" There was a ripping sound.  
  
Then the team of time travelers broke in. "Take this!" called Lucca. "Fire 2!"  
  
Lucca shot fire at him, but it missed him by a long shot. "I guess I'll always be too fast for you, huh, Lucca?" asked Johnny.  
  
"Lightning 2!" This time it was Crono attacking. He also missed. Now it was Atropos and Marle's turn to attack.  
  
"Hey, Atropos, you can get him right?" Marle asked. "Ice!"  
  
"Atropos Tackle!" Atropos yelled.  
  
Then they both yelled, "ICE TACKLE!"  
  
Marle gave Atropos ice power and she tackled Johnny, but still Johnny was too fast.  
  
"Now it's MY turn to attack!" exclaimed Johnny. "Sonic Boom Blast!"  
  
Johnny zoomed right past them and knocked them too the ground.  
  
"He broke the sound barrier!" exclaimed Lucca in amazement.  
  
"Hah! Hah! Hah!" laughed Johnny. He pulled out a gun and started shooting the four. But none of them were injured. Crono just got a little tear in his shirt.  
  
"Listen up, everyone! Take cover, I've got an attack that's impossible to evade!" ordered Lucca.  
  
They all did as she said.  
  
Lucca threw bombs around the room and yelled, "Napalm!"  
  
"AGH!!!" Johnny was hit. "Master! Master, save me!"  
  
"You pathetic fool!" came a voice. The body could not be seen because of all the smoke. "You have failed me completely. We shall talk about this later!"  
  
When the smoke had cleared, Johnny and the mystery man had disappeared.  
  
"Who was that?" asked Crono.  
  
"I don't know, but I think that it was probably the Dark Force that was clouding over Johnny. You know, the one that Belthasaur was talking about," said Marle.  
  
"Hey, guys, come over here!" It was Lucca calling them. "It's Robo! But he looks so shabby. We'll need to take him back to Belthasaur ASAP. Crono picked him up and the rest had started to leave, but Lucca got her eye caught on something. It was a picture of her, but torn in half.  
  
* * *  
  
They arrived in Mallow Dome. When they entered, they were forced to battle some easy opponents, nothing that a slice of a sword and the shot of an arrow couldn't handle. But finally they had reached the center of the dome, where they could hear Johnny's voice.  
  
"Hah! The thing that gave him life! Completely destroyed!" There was a ripping sound. 


	4. The Birth of the Pendant

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Author's Note: I know that the Pendant was created in Zeal, but I changed that in this story for whatever reason.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
The Birth of the Pendant  
  
"Robo does look pretty bad," said Marle.  
  
"It'll take awhile to get him set up to the Orb." Lucca thought out loud. Her mind was still shocked by the picture of her meaning so much to Robo.  
  
"I'm still wondering why Johnny was acting so evil," said Crono. "It could very well be the work of another evil being.  
  
"Then perhaps we should gather the others and travel through time once again! But I must stay here...to restore Robo to life...and find out how that he ever was alive." said Lucca.  
  
"Then maybe I should come with you. I promise not to get in the way," offered Atropos.  
  
"I think that's a WONDERFUL idea!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"OK! But when we gather our friends, we need to start strong. So who has the strongest physical strength?" said Crono.  
  
"It looks like we're going to the prehistoric times!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm sorry master! I'M SORRY!" exclaimed Johnny.  
  
"I'm afraid sorry won't cut it. You have failed me, Johnny," came the voice of the "master."  
  
"But, sire, I destroyed the only thing that gave the robot life!" Johnny squealed.  
  
"FOOL! They have the Orb of Life. With its power, ANYTHING could happen. Your mission was to destroy all of them! I suppose it is a task to difficult for you!"  
  
With that there was a loud scream, and then complete silence,  
  
"You, come here. I'm counting on you to kill them all. Remember that I gave you life. But you shall lose it quick as a wink if you fail me!"  
  
"Yes, master," came another voice.  
  
* * *   
  
"It's good to see that Epoch is working again," said Crono. He, Marle, and Atropos were all in the Epoch. Crono started the engine and they flew off.  
  
* * *  
  
"It's much colder than I remember. Of course, the prehistoric times were always very hot," said Marle.  
  
"That's because we haven't destroyed Lavos yet, Marle," Crono explained.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that's right. Now we need to find Ayla," came Marle's reply.  
  
The three walked around about everywhere. They were in the hunting grounds when they came across Kino, Ayla's boyfriend.  
  
"Crono! Marle! HAHA! Robo pink!" said Kino.  
  
"Oh, this isn't Robo, Kino. This is his girlfr...sister, Atropos," Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Hello Craprotos! Why Crono, Marle, and Craprotos here?" said Kino.  
  
"We're looking for Ayla," came Crono's reply. "Have you seen her?"  
  
"Kino look for Ayla too. She been gone for moon," said Kino.  
  
"You mean you haven't seen her since last evening? Where could she be?" Marle wondered out loud.  
  
"Perhaps this new criminal has something to do with it," Atropos suggested.  
  
"I think you're right, Atropos," Crono agreed. "But maybe she could have gotten lost. Have you checked EVERYWHERE, Kino?"  
  
"All but old Reptite Lair, where Lavos fall," said Kino.  
  
"Then that's where we need to check! Let's get the Dactyls ready to go!" said Crono.  
  
"Only one problem, only two Dactyl left."  
  
"No it's not! Dragon Portal Activate!" Marle shouted.  
  
She threw two small sphere figures to the ground, one was black and yellow, and the other black and blue. Smoke filled the air and then Sparky and Icy the dragons appeared.  
  
"Sparky?!" Crono exclaimed, though very confused.  
  
"Lucca rigged up these dragon portals for me! We can make them appear whenever we want! And see how their wings have grown? They can fly now, at least to the remains of the Reptite Lair," Marle explained.  
  
Crono got on Sparky, Marle got on Icy, and Kino and Atropos got on the two Dactyls. With that, they were off to the large hole in the Earth, where Lavos hit.  
  
* * *  
  
"Mwa...ha...ha." came an evil laugh.  
  
"Let Ayla go, Azala!" came Ayla's voice.  
  
"That is where you shall remain, "Until that you go insane," came Ayla, the Reptite's, evil spell.  
  
"I suggest you let her go," came the voice of Crono, who had arrived. "Luminaire!" he yelled as he touched Sparky's head.  
  
Sparky shot out a large green ball of light towards Azala.  
  
"I am starting to become annoyed, "This ball of Lightning I'll avoid," came another of Azala's spells.  
  
The Luminaire zipped right past the Reptite.  
  
"I call upon my mighty master, "Upon the apes you must cause disaster, "Elements of Wind and Rain, "Use them both to cause them pain!"  
  
Another of Azala's spells had been unleashed against them all. Great blue beams hit all five of them.  
  
"AGH!!!" All of them screamed.  
  
"If my...uh...Luminaire won't work...ack...nothing will," Crono said with difficulty.  
  
"Then...work...ugh...as...team," Kino uttered. "Dino Head!" he yelled barely.  
  
Ayla did the same, except she called, "Dino Tail!"  
  
Then, something very strange happened. Kino and Ayla stood up as if they hadn't been harmed. Their eyes were glowing bright red. After doing some odd movements, they chanted, "We call upon the mighty Arame, the Severe Dactyl!  
  
A gigantic Dactyl flew over them. It shot a huge beam of fire at Azala.  
  
"That's amazing! They're summoners!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
Ayla and Kino suddenly had been thrown to the ground again, even weaker than before. "Ugh...Azala...we tried giving you chance...but you blew it...you pay!" said Ayla. "Rock Throw!"  
  
Ayla picked up a very small rock and threw it at Azala it was SO pathetic, but somehow, amazingly, Azala was shot back as if she had been blasted by a cannon.  
  
"Ugh...I shall never work for one of those apes again." came Azala's voice. Then, the Reptite died.  
  
"Rock has great strength!" Ayla exclaimed. "I make into necklace and it be passed down for many generations to come!"  
  
With a smile, Marle said, "I'm sure it will." 


	5. The Einlanzer's Mighty Glow

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Author's Note: An importnat change in this chapter is that Marle says that Frog is a summoner, instead of the original response of her saying Frog Squash wasn't considered a summon. This is important later in the fic. Also, Cyrus doesn't have the Middle Age talk anymore. Only Frog had that in the game, and I decided that it came along with Magus's curse.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 5:  
  
The Einlanzer's Mighty Glow  
  
"Azala...I made that hideous dinosaur have the most powerful spells. Heck, I raised that thing from the dead and gave it the powers of Wind and Rain. You, you won't fail me will you," said the voice of the mysterious wicked master.  
  
"Not a chance, master," came a voice.  
  
* * *  
  
"Azala, alive? Well...not anymore, but how?" asked Marle.  
  
Atropos replied, "The Dark Force in Johnny, most likely."  
  
"You mean we're fighting someone...something that can raise ancient lizards from the dead. That ain't good," said Crono.  
  
"Well, let's talk about something a little more exciting! Ayla and Kino are summoners!" exclaimed Marle.  
  
"Kino don't want to be no summa...sumo...nar," said Kino.  
  
"What is summoner?" asked Ayla.  
  
"Well, legend tells us that long ago, a group of people could not use magic, but instead they could call upon powerful beasts that had unbelievable strength," explained Marle. "You might be two of those people."  
  
"What about Frog and his Frog Squash attack, Marle? Is he a summoner too?" asked Crono.  
  
"I suppose so. Usually, summoners can use more than one summon, but I guess some are better than others." explained Marle.  
  
"Well, speaking of Frog lets go to the Middle Ages next. The 'Dark Force' may have something in store for him as well," suggested Crono.  
  
"There is one single problem: The Epoch has only three seats. There are five of us," explained Atropos.  
  
"You mean Kino and Ayla come with Crono, Marle, and Craprotos?" asked Kino.  
  
"Sure, we'll just have to cram," said Marle.  
  
So, Crono, Marle, Atropos, Kino, and Ayla all got into the Epoch it was quite cozy, but they would be in 600 AD quite soon.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, it feels good to be out of that time machine!" exclaimed Crono.  
  
"All right, lets find Frog, unless he's kidnapped as well," said Marle.  
  
"That seems to be the pattern emerging," said Atropos.  
  
So, the heroes walked to the Cursed Woods, where Frog lived, from Truce, which was where they landed. They just couldn't stand being in the Epoch any longer. They wend behind a bush in the Cursed Woods where there was a hole and a ladder. They went down the ladder and emerged in Frogs home. Instead of finding the green knight, they found Queen Leene, all the servants, the chef, the court messenger, royal guards, and the nights of the square table.  
  
"There don't seem to be any clues here," said a guard.  
  
"Except that he had a very bad fly salad before he left," said the chef.  
  
"And that he got mail from someone with very bad handwriting," said the messenger.  
  
"Really? A letter, we best take a look at that then," suggested the Queen.  
  
"Umm...Grandma? (Oh, that felt REALLY weird to say.)" said Marle.  
  
"Princess Nadia? Crono? And I see you brought two cavemen and a pink dragon," said Leene.  
  
"Oh, these are Ayla and Kino from 65,000,000 BC and this is Atropos from 2300 AD She's not a dragon, she's a very up-to-date advanced ro-" Marle stopped herself noticing that the queen had no idea what she was talking about. "Yes, this is Atropos, a pink dragon."  
  
"Have you seen Fr...Glenn? We've been looking for him, and..." Crono started to say, making sure that he used Frog's real name. But the queen interrupted him.  
  
"Oh really? We have too. We can't seem to find him. He was last seen in Dorino," explained the queen.  
  
"Dorino. Computing. Dorino. A small town with 32 structures. Population: 92. Located near the bridge connecting the northeastern continent and the southeastern continent. Located also near the Denadoro Mountains," said Atropos.  
  
"The Denadoro Mountains...where it happened," said Crono.  
  
"But why would he be going to where he was transformed?" asked Marle.  
  
"I don't know," said Crono.  
  
"Your Majesty, it looks as if this could be great writing, only in a language I cannot understand," said the court messenger.  
  
The chef added," I haven't seen anything that looks at all like this writing in even the most foreign cook books."  
  
"Glenn was not stupid, but he certainly did not have the highest IQ. What foreign language would he know?" asked the Queen.  
  
"I don't know except perhaps the language of toads!" exclaimed the messenger and the room was filled with laughter, except from our five heroes and the Queen.  
  
"If that isn't the rudest thing I've ever heard," said the Queen.  
  
"That is completely disrespectful," said Marle.  
  
"But he might have a point wasn't there a frog Mystic? It seems like Lucca told me something about that. She did a lot of researching after our first adventure," explained Crono.  
  
"Yeah, I think I remember that too!" exclaimed Marle.  
  
"Atropos, can you translate this?" asked Crono, handing Atropos the letter.  
  
"Affirmative, Crono. Ribbit. Croak. Rib. Croack. Rib. Ribbit. Ribbit. Croak. Bring the badge and the sword to the mountain forest. Signed, Your Majesty," said Atropos.  
  
"Bring the badge and the sword to the mountain forest...what does it mean?" asked Crono, though knowing nobody had the answer.  
  
"Signed, Your Majesty?" said Marle, also confused.  
  
"Well, it certainly was not from me or my husband; we don't speak frog," said Leene.  
  
"Are there any other royal people in this time that you know of?" asked Marle.  
  
"Besides you, no," answered Queen Leene.  
  
"The Mystic. I remember something about that Mystic," said Crono.  
  
"What Mystic?" asked Ayla.  
  
"Is Tysmic like sumoonger?" asked Kino.  
  
"Mystic, not Tysmic, and summoner, not sumoonger, stupid Kino," said Ayla.  
  
"AND ATROPOS NOT CRAPROTOS!" screamed Atropos.  
  
Everybody stared at Atropos. If robots can blush, Atropos certainly did.  
  
After a minute of silence, Crono shouted, "HE WAS A KING! That's it, the frog Mystic was the Frog King!"  
  
"Okay, so that's figured out, but what about the message: Bring the badge and the sword." said Marle.  
  
"Messenger, you undoubtedly delivered this letter. Do you remember getting one like this?" asked Leene.  
  
"Well, come to think of it, I did get a letter from a large green fellow under the mountains. You know, in the area that's kind of like a forest," said the messenger.  
  
"Why couldn't you have said that earlier!?" exclaimed the Queen.  
  
"And the sword is undoubtedly the Masamune," said Marle.  
  
"But the badge...what does that mean?" asked Crono.  
  
"Is it mandatory to be known, Crono? The location of the so called 'mountain forest' is now known amongst us," questioned Atropos.  
  
"Atropos is right; we know where Frog and the Frog King are. Let's go!" exclaimed Crono.  
  
"Atropos, you drive the Epoch," said Marle as she tossed Atropos the Gate Key that was necessary for driving the Epoch. "Crono and I will travel this way. Dragon Portal Activate!"  
  
The two dragons appeared and Crono and Marle mounted them.  
  
"I'll get on my horse and show you the way," said the messenger, and he got on his horse.  
  
They traveled past Fiona's Villa, through Dorino, until they reached the base of the mountain. There was an area to the east of the mountains that was quite forest-like.  
  
* * *  
  
"Do you have the Badge of Courage?" asked the Frog King  
  
"I haveth the Hero Medal; unfortunately, you, thy Frog King, shalleth never be in possession of it," came Frog's reply.  
  
"And the sword." said the so-called King.  
  
"Thy sword is here, with me and Cyrus," said Frog. "You shalleth never own it either."  
  
"We'll see about that," said the Frog King.  
  
Suddenly three frogs (who had the exact shape as the Frog we know) popped out from behind the king: one red, one yellow, and one blue.  
  
"These, Glenn, are the Poison Frog Knights," said the Frog King.  
  
"Red Ribbit!" shouted the red frog.  
  
"Yellow Croak!" shouted the yellow one.  
  
"And the leader of the Poison Frog Knights, BLUE BELLOW!" shouted the blue frog.  
  
"Thou none of thou haveth the power of thy Masamune!" exclaimed Frog.  
  
Frog ran towards the Poison Frog Knights ready to fight, when all of a sudden.  
  
"Supersonic Ribiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Red Ribbit ribbited.  
  
"Supersonic Croooooooooooooooooooooooooooak!" Yellow Croak croaked.  
  
"Supersonic Belooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!" Blue Bellow bellowed.  
  
"AGH!!!!!!" shouted Frog. All three of them let out an attack that sounded worse than Lucca's singing.  
  
"Poison Bubble!"  
  
The largest frog, Blue Bellow, had put Frog in a bubble full of toxic gas. There was no way Frog could survive, unless Crono, Marle, Atropos, Ayla, and Kino got there fast enough...which they did.  
  
"FROG!" screamed Marle!  
  
"What did you do to him!?" exclaimed Crono.  
  
"We're just letting him die a slow, painful death...heh," said the Frog King.  
  
"If Frog die, can we eat?" asked Kino.  
  
Ayla hit Kino on the head and said, "Stupid Kino! Frog friend! Kino no eat friend!"  
  
"You will die too!" exclaimed Blue Bellow.  
  
"Supersonic Ribiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"  
  
"Supersonic Croooooooooooooooooooooooooak!"  
  
"Supersonic Bellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!"  
  
Surprisingly, the five were not harmed.  
  
"What's wrong?!" shouted Yellow Croak.  
  
"Yeah, you should be in severe pain!" exclaimed Red Ribbit.  
  
"That wasn't even close to sounding as bad as Lucca's singing!" said Crono.  
  
"Amen to that!" Marle agreed.  
  
All right, sorry, I was wrong. Their attacks didn't sound as bad as Lucca's singing.  
  
"Kino singing not good either. And he just to stupid to be hurt," said Ayla.  
  
"My radar indicates that you gave out a sound that had an ultra-ultra-ultra-high frequency. My ear unit is not advanced enough to pick up a vibration of that level," explained Atropos.  
  
"Well, then, you'll just have to witness the power of their weapons," said the Frog King.  
  
"The Red Katana!" shouted Red Ribbit.  
  
"The Yellow Katana!" shouted Yellow Croak.  
  
"And the Masamune!" shouted Blue Bellow.  
  
"He's using Frog's weapon!" shouted Marle.  
  
"Yes," said the blue frog, "Masa and Mune! AWAKEN!"  
  
Instantly, two yellow human-like creatures in white robes appeared. The sword was no longer in Blue Bellow's hand.  
  
"Masa and Mune, give us the powers of Wind!" Blue Bellow commanded.  
  
"Yes, sire," said Masa and Mune, as if the really did not want to obey him.  
  
Suddenly, the Poison Frog Knights, Masa, and Mune had disappeared.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Marle.  
  
"They're...they're in the wind." said Crono as if he didn't believe it.  
  
"CRONO look out!" shouted Kino and tossed him an Aeon Blade.  
  
Without thinking, Crono grabbed the sword, turned around and, and slashed. Then he saw Yellow Croak's body lying on the ground next to his head. Crono had been extremely lucky.  
  
Suddenly he shouted, "Kino, think fast!" and tossed him back the Aeon Blade.  
  
Kino did exactly what Crono did, though he was not as lucky. The Aeon Blade hit the Masamune, instead of Blue Bellow's neck.  
  
Crono still awestruck about how lucky he had been reached down and took Yellow Croak's Yellow Katana. He whirled it around a bit. It was extremely light, though felt very powerful.  
  
"Forget this," Crono said and tossed his Bolt Sword he bought in 2300 AD behind him. "This is much better than that Bolt Sword. Heck, it seems better than that old Red Katana I bought from Melchior!"  
  
Then Red Ribbit popped up out of nowhere. "You're gonna regret what you just said!" he shouted and then he tried to slash him with the Red Katana. Once again, luckily, Crono was not hit.  
  
Suddenly there was a huge sword fight between Red Ribbit and Crono.  
  
Ching!  
  
Ching!  
  
Cling!  
  
Clang!  
  
Crono knew he could keep it up much longer but then Marle shouted, "Crono get on!"  
  
She was flying on Icy, and Sparky was right next to her. Crono jumped on Sparky and flew to the very top of the forest.  
  
"Crono, they can jump high and I mean high! Quick, give Sparky all the energy you've got!" shouted Marle.  
  
Crono grabbed Sparky's neck and gave him all the energy he had for one super Luminaire. Sparky's mouth was forming a green ball of light, where as Icy's was forming a big ball of glowing blue ice.  
  
Meanwhile, Red Ribbit was looking for a place to jump straight up and slash Crono. There! He had found it. He jumped up with his sword ready to slice and dice Crono but then.  
  
"Luminaire!"  
  
"Ice 2!  
  
Both from either side!!! Needless to say, Red Ribbit was squashed instantly. However, Crono, Marle, and the dragons had used all their energy and fell threw the trees onto the ground.  
  
Blue Bellow, however, did much better than his brothers. The Masamune slashed threw the stone that made the Aeon Blade. Blue Bellow kicked Kino upside the head, making him knocked out.  
  
"Cat Attack!"  
  
"Atropos Punch!"  
  
Ayla leaped at Blue Bellow and Atropos tried to punch him with her hand, which shot out of her body, though the chain connected it. Hey grabbed her hand whirled her up to where her body collided with Ayla's. They were both knocked out. In fact, they were all knocked out, except for Blue Bellow and the King.  
  
* * *  
  
Crono awakened and saw that he, Marle, Ayla, Frog, Atropos, and Kino were in the poison bubbles. He felt pain all over his body. Then he saw that even Sparky and Icy were captured inside the bubbles. He still had his sword, but he got the notion that if he tried to break the bubble, he would be in even more pain. He saw that he was not experiencing the most pain, though, for Frog, who had been in his bubble the longest looked as if we were going to die at any second.  
  
Frog felt how he looked. No, he was what he looked like. He had only half a minute left of his life. And he yelled, though it came out less than a whisper, "Ancient ancestors, please come to thy help, bring us thou one who can save us all from this! Cy..rus."  
  
Suddenly, Ayla and Kino's eyes started glowing a bright red color. Then they did several odd movements, and chanted in a voice that was not at all like their usual not quite advanced way of speaking, "Come to us, oh great one. Warrior of Light, Cyrus, we summon you!" Then they passed out once again.  
  
But then, a huge ball of fire burst through the trees and landed in the middle of all the poison bubbles (which were in a circle). After the ball had hit the earth, the fire went out. Cyrus, the knight, Frog's best friend who was killed by the at one time evil Magus.  
  
He pulled out his sword, and threw it like a boomerang, so it popped all the bubbles, releasing those inside of them and came right back to Cyrus.  
  
"Who are you?" said Blue Bellow.  
  
"I," said Cyrus, "am the one who will defeat you and your Frog King."  
  
"Cyrus! You have returned! I wouldn't be so happy, though, because my little friend, Blue Bellow, has your old weapon, the Masamune! Mwa! Ha!" the Frog King laughed.  
  
"Oh, yes, and I have a rival of the Masamune - the Einlanzer!" exclaimed Cyrus.  
  
Blue Bellow replied, "Yes, but does your weapon the...uh...Einlanzer control the power of Wind?"  
  
Cyrus replied, "No, the Einlanzer has the power of Light!"  
  
"Masa! Mune! Awaken!" shouted Blue Bellow.  
  
The sword had mystically changed into Masa and Mune once again.  
  
"We're sorry, Cyrus," the muttered. "Fatal Tornado!"  
  
The two became a tornado and attacked Cyrus who was once their owner. They landed on either side of Blue Bellow. Surprisingly, Cyrus was still standing.  
  
"What?! No one can survive the Fatal Tornado!" shouted the blue frog.  
  
Then, from behind Cyrus appeared two creatures that looked much like Masa and Mune only they're skin was white and their robes were green.  
  
"Ein!" shouted Masa.  
  
"Lanzer!" shouted Mune.  
  
"Masa," said Ein, quite amused.  
  
"Mune," said Lanzer, the same why his brother had.  
  
"You frogs," said Cyrus, "will never survive this. Now, Ein and Lanzer!"  
  
"Right, Cyrus," Ein and Lanzer said. "Photon Shine!"  
  
Ein and Lanzer ran in a circle and in the middle formed a light so pure that instantly destroyed the Frog King and Blue Bellow.  
  
Masa and Mune were quite happy. "Hurray! Hurray!" they shouted. "Cyrus, will you be our master once again?"  
  
"No, good sword. I control the Einlanzer, though I do believe you belong with Glenn," said Cyrus.  
  
Everyone was well awake by now. Ein and Lanzer formed their sword and flew into Cyrus's hand. Masa and Mune did the same and flew into Frog's.  
  
Frog ran up to Cyrus and hugged him. "I thank thou very much," Frog said. "Will you stayeth here, as we fight the sinister force that was controlling thou art Frog King?"  
  
"But Frog, how did you know about the Dark Force?" asked Marle.  
  
Cyrus answered for him, "We have fought the Frog King before, and he could never be that honorably strong. And, Glenn, I will stay by your side until thy King of Summons returns me to the Land of Summons or until I am summoned again."  
  
"And now everyone knows what we have to do," said Crono.  
  
"C'mon Crono he's so gloomy," said Marle.  
  
"Very mean!" said Ayla.  
  
"Kino not understand."  
  
"Nay! Not with Cyrus!" exclaimed Frog while pinning the Hero Medal to his shirt.  
  
Crono said, "We have to!"  
  
* * *  
  
"I knew I hired to many green creatures to help me! First Azala and then the Frog King. And I gave one supreme power and the other powerful henchmen! But YOU! You will not fail me! Go now! They'll be expecting you," came the voice of the Dark Force.  
  
"Yes, sire." 


	6. The Vehicle, the Villian, and the Vortex

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Author's Note: Re-reading this, I had made Magus kind of a sissy towards the end. I tried to change that. Also, the Epoch 2 was renamed the Neo-Epoch, the one that Belthasaur spoke of during Chrono Cross.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 6:  
  
The Vehicile, the Villian, and the Vortex  
  
"Lucca, we've been trying for five hours. That's 249 tries. What makes you think it'll be any different this time?" asked Belthasaur.  
  
"Belthasaur, we have to try again and again! There is something very important that I need to ask Robo," said Lucca. Her hand was in her pocket, holding a ripped picture of herself.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hah! The thing that gave him life! Completely destroyed!" There was a ripping sound.  
  
* * *  
  
Lucca was recalling what had happened when they arrived in Mallow Dome to rescue Robo.  
  
"All right, Nubert! Connect the machine to the Orb of Life," said Belthasaur.  
  
Nubert, the Nu, looked back at Belthasaur.  
  
"I know that Lucca's being stubborn, but she and Robo are our friends," said Belthasaur.  
  
Nubert connected the machine that Robo was inside to the Orb of Life.  
  
Lucca ordered, "Okay, everyone. Man your stations. Prepare the operation in five! Four! Three! Two! One! NOW!"  
  
The Orb started glowing, along with the machine, but still Robo was not awakened from the dead.  
  
"That's 250 times!" exclaimed Belthasaur.  
  
"Oh, you're right; it isn't working! What could be wrong?" Lucca thought out loud.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hah! The thing that gave him life! Completely destroyed!" There was a ripping sound.  
  
* * *  
  
"That's it! That's it! How could I have been so stupid? Belthasaur, do you have something to take a picture with?" asked Lucca.  
  
"Do you mean a camera?" asked Belthasaur.  
  
"Well...maybe...they haven't exactly invented something like that yet in 1000 AD..." said Lucca.  
  
"Well, I have a camera...but why?" questioned Belthasaur.  
  
Lucca replied, "Well, will you take a picture of me?"  
  
"Well I suppose...umm...here, I found my camera. Alright, say, 'cheese!'" Belthasaur said.  
  
Lucca, confused, said, "Cheddar?"  
  
Belthasaur snapped the picture with his digital camera and went to his computer. He pulled a floppy disc out of the camera and placed it in his computer. "Computer, print," said Belthasaur.  
  
"Printing your photo," said the voice of the computer. Instantly a picture flew out of the machine and Belthasaur grabbed it.  
  
He gave the picture to Lucca and asked, "But why would you want a picture of yourself at a time like this?"  
  
"You'll see," she said. She placed the picture in Robo's data processor. Then she did Nubert's job and attached the machine to the Orb of Life. "Alright, Belthasaur, Nubert, here we go!"  
  
Lucca pressed a button and suddenly the machine and the Orb started glowing once again. Then Robo's viewing censors (his eyes) started glowing a bright green color. Now all had stopped glowing, besides his eyes. "Lucca?" Robo asked.  
  
"Robo, Robo, is that you?" asked Lucca (well, duh, it was Robo; Lucca just wanted to stop to be dramatic).  
  
Robo and Lucca hugged each other. "Belthasaur, Nubert, could you leave us alone for a sec?"  
  
"Okay, come Nubert," said Belthasaur as he and Nubert left the room.  
  
"Robo...there's...something I have to ask you...you are somehow alive...and I brought you back from the dead...and...and...it...it only worked when I put a pict-"  
  
HONK!  
  
"Lucca, come on!" Lucca heard a voice call for her.  
  
She and Robo ran outside to see the Epoch which was crammed with Cyrus, Frog, Ayla, Kino, and Atropos, along with to dragons that Marle and Crono were riding.  
  
"Lucca!" Marle shouted. "Dragon Portal Activate." She threw a red and black marble-sized ball on the ground. Suddenly it turned into a dragon...Fiery.  
  
"What's all this?" Lucca asked.  
  
"Well," said Crono, "the Dark Force has proven to be very powerful. So, we need all the help we can get! You see; we've got Frog and Ayla, along with Kino, Atropos, and Sir Cyrus."  
  
"CYRUS?! CYRUS?! That guy right there is CYRUS?" Lucca asked.  
  
"Yeah, he joined us after Ayla and Kino summoned him. You see, they're summoners," Crono explained.  
  
"Oh, my gosh, that is amazing!" Lucca exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, look Robo is...alive...again!" exclaimed Marle.  
  
"Hello, Marle," he said.  
  
"Well, Lucca, you, me, and Crono are gonna ride on our dragons right behind the Epoch," explained Marle, "and Frog, Cyrus, Atropos, Kino, Ayla, Cyrus, and you, Robo, will ride in the Epoch."  
  
"That makes seven people. How can you fit seven people inside a vehicle that is supposed to hold three?" asked Lucca.  
  
"Leave that to me!" shouted Belthasaur. He and Nubert came out of Keeper's Dome. "Quick! Everyone inside!"  
  
Everyone was very glad to get out of the Epoch and into Keeper's Dome. Belthasaur removed a picture from his wall, revealing a set of buttons: one red, one blue, and one green button. He pressed the blue button and a door on the opposite side of the room opened. He walked through and the rest followed. Everybody was in awe when they saw it.  
  
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Neo-Epoch," Belthasaur said, quite proud.  
  
The Neo-Epoch was a navy blue. The wings (there were four instead of the original's two) were a bright sunshine yellow. There were three sections: The front section, which had three seats (the middle was for the driver); the middle, which had four seats; and the back, which had five seats.  
  
"And instead of just a flying mode, Neo-Epoch has built in wheels for a land mode and a scuba mode as well, for underwater exploring. It also has missile and torpedo launchers. And, the best of all, it has these handy cup holders for each seat!" said Belthasaur.  
  
"This is amazing; it has more than enough seats!" exclaimed Marle.  
  
"When did you do this?" asked Lucca.  
  
"Oh, I've been working on this forever," said Belthasaur, "I just finished it up on that break between try 100 and try 101."  
  
"Well, I want to drive it! Dragon Portal Deactivate!" shouted Crono. Sparky then turned into a small black and yellow marble which flew into Crono's hands.  
  
"We might as well do the same," suggested Marle.  
  
"DRAGON PORTAL DEACTIVATE!" shouted Marle and Lucca. A blue and black marble flew into Marle's hands, and a black and red marble flew into Lucca's.  
  
"I guess you should be on your way; no telling where that Dark Force is," said Belthasaur.  
  
Crono, Marle, and Lucca got into the front section; Atropos, Robo, Kino, and Ayla in the middle; and Frog and Cyrus in the back.  
  
"Would you like to come with us Belthasaur? We need all the help we can get," suggested Marle.  
  
"That's exactly why we've got to go find HIM," said Crono.  
  
"Oh, no, Marle, these old bones aren't good enough to fight; even for a Guru," said Belthasaur.  
  
"All right, fine, but if he pulls any funny stuff he's not joining us; is that clear?" asked Marle angrily.  
  
Crono's reply was, "Crystal."  
  
* * *  
  
"Brr... It's so cold here," said Marle.  
  
"It's 12,000 BC; what did you expect?" said Lucca.  
  
"Thy sense his evil presence," said Cyrus.  
  
"As doth I," said Frog.  
  
"I'm telling you, guys, he changed; he's a different person now," said Crono. "Look, there he is, by the foot of the mountain!"  
  
They walked over to the foot of the mountain to see the man they had been speaking of. He was dressed in a cape and was holding a powerful scythe, known as the Doom Sickle. His name was Janus, though now most people call him...  
  
"Magus!" shouted Crono.  
  
"Hello, Crono; I've been expecting you," said Magus.  
  
"You have?" Crono asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, you see, I knew that you would be quick find out about the Dark Force," explained Magus.  
  
"You mean you know about it too?" asked Crono.  
  
"Of course, its presence is here," said Magus.  
  
"Really?" Crono asked.  
  
"Come to the top of the mountain, and I'll show you." Magus flew straight up from the ground to the top of the mountain.  
  
"See? He's not so bad," said Crono.  
  
"I don't know..." Marle had spoke for the rest of the group.  
  
The group walked up the mountain, until they reached the top, which was flat.  
  
"Wow, Magus your flying skills have really improved!" exclaimed Crono.  
  
"So have my other abilities, Dark Bomb!" Magus shouted. A ball of black light was shot at Crono. He fell into the ocean below the mountain.  
  
"I knew it was to good to be true!" exclaimed Marle. She pulled out her crossbow and shot an arrow at Magus. Lucca did the same with her gun.  
  
"Fools!" shouted Magus. He sliced the arrow in half with his Doom Sickle and stopped the bullet as well. "Dark Mist!"  
  
Suddenly, nobody could be seen, for thick dark mist was all around them. Then again, Magus could see what was going on. "Dark Bomb!" He shot two of the same balls of dark light towards Marle and Lucca. They were tossed into the ocean as well.  
  
"Are you two alright?" Crono asked.  
  
"Yeah, we're fine," came Lucca's reply.  
  
Crono shouted from below the sea, "Magus you'll pay! Lumin.."  
  
"Hold it right there boy! You should know that water conducts electricity. If you try using any of your lightning attacks, you and your friends will be zapped as well! Heh...heh... That gives me an idea. Lightning 2!" Magus shouted and launched a powerful lightning attack into the ocean. Crono, Marle, and Lucca were all shocked by it.  
  
"AGH!" they screamed.  
  
"LUCCA!" shouted Robo.  
  
"What can thy do?" Frog thought aloud.  
  
Suddenly, four red lights started glowing from the mist. It was Ayla and Kino's eyes. "Tortonious, Great Turtle of the Sea, come to our aid!" they shouted.  
  
Instantly, a gigantic turtle came from under Crono, Marle, and Lucca, lifting them up to the top of the mountain.  
  
"You are such idiots!" shouted Magus as he grabbed Lucca and Marle's hands and threw the two back against the wall of the mountain. "Especially you Crono."  
  
Crono pulled out the Yellow Katana and fought Magus and his Doom Sickle. After a few minutes, Magus said, "I'm growing tired of this! Black Hole!"  
  
Out of midair, a black hole started to appear; beginning to suck in its prey...Crono.  
  
"I won't fall into that black hole, Magus, no matter what you do!"  
  
"I doubt that. Dark Matter," said Magus, unleashing the most powerful Shadow Magic attack ever. Crono's body, now severely weak from Lightning 2 and Dark Matter, gave in to the black hole and flew into it.  
  
Then a mysterious voice said, "It is done."  
  
Instantly, the darkness in Magus's eyes vanished. By now, the mist had cleared up and every member of the party had gathered around Magus...their weapons ready to strike.  
  
"Marle...Robo......Cyrus!" Magus yelled.  
  
"Magus today is the day you die!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Heh...so much for being allies." Magus asked.  
  
"ALLIES?! As if you don't remember, you made Crono get sucked into a black hole!" Lucca exclaimed violently.  
  
"What the......Lavos...LAVOS! I WILL KILL YOU IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO! You must understand. Lavos took control over me. I was pierced with uncontrollable evil. Try to kill me if you must, but I won't be going down without a fight." Magus said.  
  
"Wait, Lavos?" asked Marle. "Lavos is the Dark Force?"  
  
"Yes, Lavos. I don't remember much, but I know it was he. And...I remember that he's...he's human!" Magus exclaimed.  
  
"Human?" asked Robo.  
  
"It doesn't matter, we still won't spare you; what you did to Crono is unforgivable!" Marle shouted.  
  
"Wait, a black hole? That's just a rip in space. It doesn't mean that he's dead," said Lucca.  
  
"Of course he's dead! There's no air in space." said Magus.  
  
"...Use it on me!" said Lucca.  
  
"Didn't you hear me?! There. Is. No. Air. In. Space. The chances of you and Crono surviving are slim to none!" Magus shouted.  
  
"The chances of everyone surviving without Crono here to help defeat Lavos are even slimmer! Take both of us!" Marle shouted.  
  
"You tried to help Schala and the Gurus. As much as I dislike snobby brats and stuck up scientists, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I sent you to die." said Magus.  
  
"Then we'll kill you!" shouted Marle.  
  
"Fine! You fools have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Black Hole!" Magus used his Black Hole attack again, which sucked Marle and Lucca in there, hoping to find Crono.  
  
After they had gone, Magus said, "Glenn, Cyrus, I know you hate me. Kill me now."  
  
"Magus, thy do not understand, thou have let Marle and Lucca find Sir Crono for exchange of thou life," Frog said.  
  
"No, you don't understand..."  
  
"That be what I just said," said Frog.  
  
Magus continued, "Lavos only stopped controlling me, because he believed that Crono is dead. Crono is his only true threat, for the boy has a power in him that is even more powerful than mine. I was his last recruit. Now knowing that Crono will most likely live, he will take control of my body again, and make me kill you all." 


	7. King Zephatro

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 7:  
  
King Zephatro  
  
After they had gone, Magus said, "Glenn, Cyrus, I know you hate me. Kill me now."  
  
"Magus, thy do not understand, thou have let Marle and Lucca find Sir Crono for exchange of thou life," Frog said.  
  
"No, you don't understand..."  
  
"That be what I just said," said Frog.  
  
Magus continued, "Lavos only stopped controlling me, because he believed that Crono is dead. Crono is his only true threat, for the boy has a power in him that is even more powerful than mine. I was his last recruit. Now knowing that Crono will most likely live, he will take control of my body again, and make me kill you all."  
  
"Magus, by every fiber in my body, I would like to destroy you." said Cyrus.  
  
"Then kill me! Before I kill you!" Magus ordered.  
  
"It wouldn't be honorable to do so." said Cyrus. "You've changed your ways."  
  
"NO! Ayla! Kino! Kill me now!" said Magus.  
  
"Killing bad. Ayla no want kill," said Ayla.  
  
"Ugh! Fine, I'll kill myself!" said Magus, as he fell backwards into the ocean.  
  
"Magus! No!" Frog screamed.  
  
"You fools are weak. You hesitate to kill. Lightning 2!" Magus yelled from the ocean. Lightning bolts struck everywhere out of his body. But because water conducts electricity, he would be hurt by his own attack. "Agh! Ice 2!" Once again Magus cast a spell on himself. He created a huge block of ice in the sky and made it fall on top of him.  
  
"Magus stop!" Cyrus yelled from atop the mountain.  
  
"Fire 2!" yelled Magus. Since he was in water the spell didn't have much effect on him, but there were still some burns. "Cyrus! Frog! Ayla! Kino! Atropos! Robo! Stand back. Dark Bomb!" Magus shot used his attack on the mountain, which made part of it crumble on top of him. "AGH!!! DARK MATTER!" Magus screamed, using the ultimate Shadow Magic attack, which killed him instantly.  
  
* * *  
  
Crono was flying through the black hole. Now, black holes are stars that have collided in space. They are quite similar to Gates (vortexes that take you through time), except black holes take you through space. Unfortunately, the radiation created inside of the black hole, is mind altering...meaning that your memory is completely erased, and cannot be brought back, unless you have a reminder of a strong memory.  
  
Crono drifted out of the black hole, passed out from Magus's severe attacks. Fortunately, a Liujatron space cruiser was right in front of him.  
  
"What the heck is that?" said one of the Liujatrons.  
  
"I think it's Zephatro..." said the other.  
  
"Baigor...it can't be...can it?" said the first.  
  
"I don't know...Celik...I think it is," said Baigor.  
  
Celik replied, "Baigor! Liujatrons have blue skin and blonde hair. This one's got tan skin and red hair."  
  
Baigor said, "Well, we are in war, it's probably a disguise."  
  
"Well, the more that you mention it," said Celik, "he is starting to look like the king."  
  
"Well," said Baigor, "let's get him."  
  
Celik got out of the cruiser, got Crono, and put him back in the spacecraft.  
  
When they were all in, Celik said, "He looks pretty bruised up."  
  
"Those freakin' Palzaros!" said Baigor.  
  
"Don't worry, Baigor. We'll fry their butts and win the war," said Celik.  
  
Baigor, who was piloting flew them off to Liuja, their home planet. In this part of the universe, there was a great war going on between the Liujatrons and the Palzaros. It had been going on for ages. Nobody knew how the war had started...they just knew it had. The Liujatrons had been losing the war for sometime. Thus, King Zephatro decided to fight along with the army. The King had been missing for years...but has he just been "found."  
  
* * *  
  
Crono awoke. "Where...where am I?"  
  
"Your Majesty, you are finally awake," said Baigor.  
  
"Your Majesty?" Crono asked.  
  
"Yes, do you not remember? You are King Zephatro, the leader of the Liujatrons. We're here on Liuja, where you rule. You took quite a beating against those Palzaros," said Celik.  
  
"Oh...yes...I see..." Crono said.  
  
"We found you near Palzaron a week ago," Baigor explained, "and we nursed you back to health."  
  
"Actually...I nursed you back to..."  
  
"Shut up Tijino!" Celik yelled back.  
  
"We brought you your favorite meal, Suglamatian slug stew," said Baigor.  
  
"So, I like this meal?" Crono asked.  
  
Tijino, the healer, said, "Oh yes very much sir. It's high in pro..."  
  
Baigor interrupted, "Quiet Tijino! What are you doing here anyway? You are not superior enough to even look at the King."  
  
While Crono was eating his stew, he said, "Why do you not like this...Tijino?"  
  
"Well, as everyone knows, Liujatrons are well known for their powerful black magic. In fact, we are rated number eleven in black magic among all the creatures of the universe," said Baigor.  
  
Celik said, "Tijino is determined to be a white mage, though. You know, one that doesn't use offensive magic."  
  
"Other than Holy of course," Baigor added.  
  
"But someone as weak as Tijino couldn't even use that. Remember, you told him to be a nurse! Hah! Ha! Ha!" said Celik while laughing.  
  
Baigor laughed as well. "Heh! Heh! Heh! HA!"  
  
Crono, confused, did the same. "Heh! Heh! Hah! Hah! Hah! Ha!"  
  
Suddenly a beautiful Liujatron entered. Her name was Ritza. "Your Majesty, I was wondering if...now that you're awake and all...that you could train the group again..." she said blushing.  
  
"Oh...okay...I...I...guess..." said Crono, not even knowing how he would train them.  
  
"Here, sire, is the new sword that we found with you," said Celik.  
  
Celik handed Crono the Yellow Katana. Suddenly, Crono's mind jogged.  
  
* * *  
  
He was in a huge forest with many creatures.  
  
Suddenly, three frogs and two yellow creatures had disappeared.  
  
"What's going on?" asked a girl in light blue.  
  
"They're...they're in the wind." he said as if he didn't believe it.  
  
"…Look out!" shouted a man with blond hair and tossed him a sword.  
  
Without thinking, he grabbed the sword, turned around and, and slashed. Then he saw the yellow frog's body lying on the ground its to his head. "King Zephatro" had been extremely lucky.  
  
Suddenly he shouted, "…Think fast!" and tossed him back the sword.  
  
The blond boy did exactly what Zephatro did, though he was not as lucky. The blade hit the blue frog's sword, instead of his neck.  
  
The King still awestruck about how lucky he had been reached down and took the yellow frog's sword. He whirled it around a bit. It was extremely light, though felt very powerful.  
  
"Forget this," Zephatro said and tossed his old sword he bought earlier behind him. "This is much better than that Bolt Sword. Heck, it seems better than that old Red Katana I bought from Melchior!"  
  
* * *  
  
Crono shook his head and said to Ritza, "Would you please take me to wherever we train?"  
  
"It would be an honor, your highness. I'll wait outside for you," said Ritza, still blushing.  
  
"Is she always like this?" Crono asked.  
  
"Well, Ritza's had a crush on you forever, sire. Don't you remember? Of course, when it comes to fighting, she is as strong and fearless anyone," said Baigor.  
  
Crono walked outside the room. So did Celik and Baigor. They would be training too. Ritza lead them through many halls, all of which looked the same. They finally arrived at a large room with many Liujatrons inside.  
  
"Hooray!" "Finally he's back!" "This is a waste of time..." "Don't say that; he's the king!" "Finally, I can become more powerful!"  
  
The trainers were all excited.  
  
"Well...um...would anybody like to tell me where we are in our training?" Crono, or King Zephatro, asked.  
  
"Your Majesty," Baigor replied, "you were teaching us the way to use energy blasts. You focus it all on a certain spot, usually your hands, and then launch it."  
  
"R..r...right...umm...okay...watch this," said Crono. He started doing as Baigor had told him. Suddenly, there was a spark in Crono's hands. It became bigger and bigger and bigger until it became a ball of green energy. "Stand back!" Crono said. And launched the ball which became bigger with the release. "Luminaire!"  
  
The ball blew a gigantic hole in the wall...and the next wall...and the next wall...and the wall after that.  
  
"That was amazing!" exclaimed Celik. "What did you say it was called?"  
  
Crono said, "Luminaire." His mind started going back.  
  
* * *  
  
He was now in a place that was very cold.  
  
"Haha! We've defeated Giga Gaia and rescued Melchior!!!" exclaimed the girl in blue that the "King" had seen before.  
  
He felt a rush through his body. He had never felt like it before. He had leveled up, but he felt more powerful than ever before. He lifted his hands up into the sky and shot out a huge green ball of lightning.  
  
"It's amazing!" a girl with purple hair exclaimed. "C...o's learned not only the ultimate Lightning Magic attack, but also the most powerful Magic attack ever! Luminaire!"  
  
* * *  
  
Crono shook his head again. Why was he having memories of taking a frog's sword, and defeating a man and his rock monsters?  
  
"Let me try!" said Baigor. "Luminaire!"  
  
"Me too!" said Celik. "Luminaire!"  
  
They also shot huge balls of lightning out of their hands. But was a good asset to Crono? Or would it lead to his death? 


	8. A Collection of Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 8:  
  
A Collection of Memories  
  
Marle and Lucca drifted through the black hole, forgetting memory by memory. They, like Crono, wound up around Palzaron, home of the Palzaros.  
  
The Liujatrons, Palzaros, and human beings are all quite the same. Liujatrons have blue skin and blond hair, but everything else is exactly the same as humans, other than their eyes, which are always orange. Palzaros had pink skin and can have blue, red, or black hair. Besides this, they did not have noses and their ears are pointed.  
  
The Liujatrons and Palzaros were, as said before, in a war that had no beginning. The Liujatron's king had gone out to fight and never to return, well, until now that is. And the Palzaros, who were winning the war, had been praying to the Fire Goddess and the Ice Angels for good luck and fighting spirit.  
  
Anyways, Marle and Lucca, now passed out, were drifting out of the black hole towards Palzaron.  
  
"Sipreensik, oomakashlemi blarshtin hoges apprinz," said a Palzaron.  
  
His Empress then said, "Glin gacht tsi."  
  
"Oui, Sipreensik," the scout replied.  
  
Then he and another male Palzaro went out to fetch the two unidentified females. They put them in their spacecraft and headed back towards their home planet.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ugh...where am I?" Lucca asked as she awakened on a fluffy bed. The girl with blond hair next to her was still asleep.  
  
"Abeesh, tima, prek, la," said the Palzaro doctor.  
  
Then the Empress said, "Fah gi, ewar?"  
  
"Excuse me...what...who am I...what's going on?"  
  
Then the scout had rescued them, got out a necklace and placed it around Lucca's neck. He got one for himself as well. Then he said, "Hello, Fire Goddess, can you understand me?" His lips were not matching what he was saying.  
  
"Yes, I, understand...Fire Goddess? Is that...is that who I am?" she asked.  
  
The Empress, who now had a necklace on too, said, "Yes, we were praying to you and the Ice Angels. You two came down here to help us win the war against the Liujatrons." She saw that the Fire Goddess was still confused. "We are the Palzaros..."  
  
"Yes...I guess...I guess I remember...yes, I remember I was looking for someone, you! Yes, you are..." Lucca or the so-called Fire Goddess asked.  
  
"I am Empress Vala. I'm sure you'll want to meet my husband, Emperor Vacintar. And my daughter, Princess Vila," explained Empress Vala.  
  
"Yes...yes...I'm sure I will..." said Lucca, still confused.  
  
Then Marle awakened. "Where am I? Who am I?"  
  
Then, Empress Vala placed the necklace (which was, incase you haven't figured out already, a universal translator) around Marle's neck and said, "Hello, great Ice Angel. You must be exhausted from your trip. These are your chambers; we'll leave you alone for now."  
  
For a woman without a nose, Empress Vala was very pretty. She had tremendously long red hair, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of green.  
  
"So," said Lucca, "you are an Ice Angel?"  
  
Marle replied, "Yes, I guess so...I'm not even sure what that is..."  
  
"I have no clue what a Fire Goddess is either," Lucca said.  
  
"What do you have there? That bag?" Marle asked.  
  
Lucca took her purple bag of her shoulder and opened it. Inside she found some tools, a little make up, and a rather thick, yet small, book. "Hmm...I wonder what this is..." said Lucca.  
  
"Why don't you open it?" Marle asked.  
  
"All right...here it goes..."  
  
Lucca opened the book and began reading.  
  
* * *  
  
Gemini 26, 992  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Hello, my name is Lucca. Today is my birthday. I turned ten. I have a mommy who likes to cook and a daddy who loves science. I hate science though. It's too hard to understand.  
  
Is this how you're supposed to write in a diary? Like it's a person? Well, whether it is or isn't, I'm going to write like this anyway.  
  
Besides you, for my birthday I got a really cool jump rope from my mom and a science kit from my daddy. I don't understand why he likes science so much!  
  
Uh-oh! It's after my bedtime! Bye Diary!  
  
Yours truly, Lucca  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, how sweet, a cute little girl's diary!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"It seemed so real...it seems like I remember opening her jump rope and science kit..." Lucca said.  
  
"How weird! Is there any more?" Marle asked.  
  
"Yeah," Lucca said. She began to flip through some pages and began to read again.  
  
* * *  
  
Capricorn 2, 982  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
I'm sorry I haven't written to you since Libra. I've been really busy. I've had to go on nature hikes with my daddy. I used to hate them, but something happened today that was really cool.  
  
See, my mommy, she accidentally got her foot stuck in my daddy's big science machine. It was really scary, but I never paid attention to what Daddy told me about his machines, so I didn't know how to do anything.  
  
But then a big girl with purple hair and a helmet came in. She hit like five million bazillion buttons on daddy's machine. She saved Mommy's life!  
  
Science actually saved my mommy's life! Now I'm going to pay close attention to my daddy and be a scientist. I might become a marine-biologist or a doctor. Whatever I do, I want to take care of other people; just like that nice lady with purple hair did for my mommy.  
  
Yours truly, Lucca  
  
* * *  
  
"That's amazing! Just out of the blue! This girl has quite an inventive imagination!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah...it just seems so real though, like it actually happened. I think I'll read some more." Lucca flipped through some more pages and read again.  
  
* * *  
  
Virgo 7, 983  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Today was one of the best days of my life! I finally have a friend! A real friend! His name is Crono. He has spiky red hair. He's real cute! He doesn't talk much though. Not at all really. Mommy said he's dumb, but I don't think that's a very nice thing to say about somebody.  
  
He tried out my jump rope and he's really good at it! I let him borrow it.  
  
Not only that happened today, but I made my first real experiment! It's a little robot turtle who moves and everything. Daddy gets allergies if he goes anywhere near an animal, so I'm not allowed to have one. Crono has a kitty that I like to play with though!  
  
I'm so happy!  
  
Love always, Lucca  
  
* * *  
  
"What a nerd..." Marle said.  
  
"She's not a nerd!" Lucca exclaimed. She thought to herself, "It seems so real..."  
  
"Let me see the book!" Marle exclaimed. She flipped through a couple of pages..."Singing robots...blah...blah...blah...ooo! This looks interesting!" And she began to read.  
  
* * *  
  
Aries 1, 1000  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Today is the first day of the Millennial Fair! It's a two week festival celebrating the new millenium! Father and I finished the Tele-Pod last night. We were testing it out today, and it seemed to work fine.  
  
It was at the presentation, though, that something weird happened.  
  
Crono was with the girl with blonde, showing her around the fair. Crono stepped onto the left side of the Tele-Porter and it worked fine. But then something completely strange happened. His blond friend, who looked very familiar, tried it out. Except her pendant started glowing when she stopped on it. She ripped it off as fast as she could, but then a vortex opened up and swallowed her.  
  
Crono put on the necklace and went after her. But right now I'm working on a key that will let me go through the vortex, which I'm calling a Gate, as well.  
  
Well, I've got to get back to work.  
  
Yours truly, Lucca  
  
* * *  
  
"Maybe it's something about actually reading it, but it does seem real," said Marle.  
  
"I told you!" Lucca replied.  
  
Then Marle read some more pages. It was Lucca's turn again. She began reading one of the most interesting entries of them all.  
  
* * *  
  
Aries 12, 1000  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Today was quite interesting. After we picked up Robo, who had finished restoring a forest for 400 years, we all gathered around a fire and began talking about the Entity. The Entity gave me a great gift tonight.  
  
Tonight I traveled through a red Gate which took me back to 982. It was Capricorn 2, the day my mother lost her legs. But, she didn't lose them. When she got her leg stuck in Father's machine, I went and stopped it.  
  
I looked in my diary, and now it says that there was a girl that came and saved Mother. I had originally enterred my angsiety because I couldn't do anything to save her. I feel proud today, and I believe I can do anything...even beat Lavos.  
  
Besides that, Robo knew I had saved my mother...and he gave me the Green Dream item. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to know that I saved her...this time-traveling thing is so confusing. Anyway, goodnight!  
  
Love always, Lucca  
  
* * *  
  
"That's amazing..." Lucca said. "The girl that saved her mother was herself..."  
  
"Now, Fire Goddess, you didn't really believe that mumbo-jumbo do you?" Marle asked.  
  
"Ice Angel...sometimes you just have to believe...it seems so real to me, just like that one entry did to you..." said Lucca.  
  
"Alright, let me read!" she exclaimed. She flipped through some pages and then said, "Ah, she's beat Lavos, that one guy she's been talking about."  
  
* * *  
  
Aries 15, 1000  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
We defeated Lavos on Aries 13! I guess 13 isn't unlucky after all. After destroying the Black Omen, we found Lavos who took on forms of all the creatures we fought before. Including Magus! Then we entered and found his body. After taking a beating, he was defeated, but then showed us his Core and two Bits. They were the strongest ever, but still Crono, Marle, and I defeated him!  
  
Then yesterday, Crono was still charged of kidnapping the princess, Marle. But I brought back Kino, King Guardia from 600 AD, and Doan. King Guardia from our time and Marle discovered that they were all related. King Guardia XXXIII was informed the Crono had been saving the world and was taken of trial.  
  
That night, Father put up Nadia's Bell in honor of Marle. Unfortunately, we had to close the Gates after everyone left. Magus went to the Dark Ages to search for Schala, Ayla and Kino went back to the Prehistoric Times to rule, and Frog and King Guardia went back to the Middle Ages. I couldn't stand Robo leaving. I was so afraid that he wouldn't exist in the Future. But now I have faith that he will.  
  
The funniest thing that happened though was when Crono's mom and Crono's cats went into the Gate. We still had the Epoch though, so we went and found her at the End of Time!  
  
Oh yeah, before we closed the Gates, we took a picture with something Doan had. I think it's called a camera or something. Anyway, Crono got a copy that he keeps in his room, but I will carry mine in my bag wherever I go!  
  
Love always, Lucca  
  
* * *  
  
"Wow, a happy ending," Lucca said. She reached into her bag to put the diary up but then she felt a sheet of paper at the bottom. She pulled it out. It was a picture of Crono, Marle, Robo, Frog, Ayla, a shadow of Magus in the very back, and herself. And what then happened was something that would possibly allow them to even the odds and save the world.  
  
Lucca remembered. 


	9. An Encounter With Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 9:  
  
An Encounter With Fate  
  
"Marle!" Lucca exclaimed.  
  
"Excuse me?" the so-called Ice Angel asked.  
  
"I'm Lucca! And you're the princess I wrote about in my diary! Don't you see? It's you!" Lucca tried to explain.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Fire Goddess," Marle said.  
  
"Just look at the picture! You have to remember!" Lucca said as she gave Marle the picture.  
  
Immediately, Marle noticed the handsome boy with spiky red hair in the center of the picture. She looked into his eyes, and her memory jogged, just as Crono on planet Liuja had done before.  
  
* * *  
  
A girl with blond hair and blue clothing had been running through the fair, so had another boy with red spiky hair. The collided into each other and the girl's necklace fell off.  
  
The girl then exclaimed, "Hey!! Ouch, that hurt!" Then she noticed the boy on the ground across from her. "I'm sorry, are you okay?" Then she realized her necklace was missing. "Uh-oh...my pendant!"  
  
Though the boy was mute, he went up to the girl who was now frantically searching for her pendant, to see if she was okay.  
  
The girl ignored the boy and yelled, "Don't tell me I lost it!"  
  
Feeling he should help, the boy also searched for the blonde's pendant. Then he noticed the necklace, grabbed it, and handed it to the girl.  
  
Relieved, the girl exclaimed, "Oh, thank goodness, my pendant! May I have it back?"  
  
The boy nodded and she took it. Without saying thank you, the girl said, "I came to see the Festival! You...live in this town don't you? I feel a little out of place here. Would you mind if I walked with you for a little while?" But before the boy had a chance to nod or shake his head, the girl said, "You're a true gentleman! By the way...my name is...er...um...Marle!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Marle exclaimed. "Lucca!"  
  
"I figured seeing Crono's eyes would make you remember," Lucca said, with a lame attempt of humor.  
  
"Lucca! This is no time to joke around! Aliens think we're all-powerful immortals and Crono is no where to be found!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Listen, I want to find Crono as much as you do. Even if we can find him, what are the chances of us getting back to Earth? It was a stupid mistake to make Magus use Black Hole on us..." Lucca said.  
  
"Now come on," said Marle. "That's not the Lucca I know! Listen, I've got a plan..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Luminaire!" yelled the King Zephatro's class.  
  
Crono had been training them for several hours that day. Each had become craftier with a sword, learning Cyclone and Spincut, knew Lightning, most of them knew Lightning 2, and now over half of them had mastered Luminaire.  
  
After Celiac, Bangor, and "King Zephatro" had put holes in the walls with their Luminaire attacks, they were forced to move out of Zephatro's home and into the countryside.  
  
"Good work, class; that will be all," Crono said to them.  
  
The time in this alternate galaxy was different than that of Earth. A week on Liuja equaled about an hour on Earth. Though Marle and Lucca had gone into the black hole right after Crono, they were brought into the galaxy two weeks after Crono did. Crono was not dressed in regular Liuja attire, which include a white shirt and black pants, each made of a light but strong metal.  
  
As the class headed back towards the city, Celik and Baigor came up to Crono.  
  
"King Zephatro," said Baigor, "we have received word that an Ice Angel and Fire Goddess have appeared on Palzaron."  
  
"Do you think they will be of any threat?" asked Celik.  
  
"Now that most of us know Luminaire, I don't think they stand a chance," Crono replied.  
  
"Then I think we should attack ASAP," Baigor suggested.  
  
"I suppose you're right, Baigor," said Crono. "There will be Palzaro blood shed tonight!"  
  
* * *  
  
On Palzaron, it was suppertime. Emperor Vacintar sat at one end of the table and Empress Vala at the other. Lucca sat at the middle of the table with Marle across from her. Sitting next to Marle was Princess Vila. The rest of the table was filled with captains, scouts, pilots, generals, and other military officials.  
  
"I can't believe we found out about this just now!" Emperor Vacintar exclaimed in outrage.  
  
"Now, Father, remember your blood pressure," Princess Vila said quietly.  
  
One of the captains said, "King Zephatro has been among the Liujatrons for almost two weeks now. Rumor has it that he is teaching the citizens how to use an extraordinary ball of light. Surely they are planning an attack soon."  
  
Marle heard about this earlier and had added it to her plan to escape the Palzaros. "The attack," she said, "is called Luminaire." By pictures and the information she'd gathered, she was almost certain that this was Crono.  
  
"How do you know of this?" Emperor Vacintar asked.  
  
Lucca said, "We've seen the attack used before. It is a fire-based attack. Filling your weapons with water will guarantee your victory." Lucca, of course, new that Luminaire was a lightning-based attack and using water could cause failure to anything run by electricity.  
  
Then a general said, "Thank you very much, wise goddess." He then commanded a soldier to fill all the weapons with water.  
  
Marle and Lucca were depending on fate and fate only that they were right and the Liujatrons would attack that night, with Crono as their leader. Hopefully, power would fail because of the water and lightning mixing and they could take Crono and show him the picture.  
  
But an error in fate could eliminate them all.  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile, the Liujatrons were all ready in their battle cruisers within only a few miles away from Palzaron. Crono was leading them.  
  
Thus, with Crono's mentality, they had absolutely no strategy besides attacking head on.  
  
And that's exactly what they did.  
  
"Sire!" A Palzaro scout headed into the room. "They're here! They're here! The Liujatrons are attacking!"  
  
"What?!" The Emperor shouted in fury. "Quick! Man the weapons; they should be well filled with water by now."  
  
Suddenly, Crono, Celik, Baigor, other Liujatron warriors, and Tijino the healer in back came bursting in.  
  
"This is the day you all will die!" Crono exclaimed. "Luminaire!"  
  
"LUMINAIRE!"  
  
The entire army of Liujatrons used the ultimate magic attack, but the Palzaros were well ready. They stormed in with gigantic guns that they somehow carried easily. The gigantic spheres of water countered the large green balls of light.  
  
Just as Marle and Lucca had predicted, since water conducts electricity, there was a large blast that sent everyone flying backwards. There was no power in the building.  
  
The two came to the so-called King and said, "Crono!"  
  
"Stand aside before you are vanquished as well," said Crono.  
  
But Marle wasn't about to give up. She grabbed Crono's shoulder, turned him around towards her, and shoved the picture in his face.  
  
A shadow, a cave girl, a frog, a robot, two girls and a boy.  
  
Magus, Ayla, Frog, Robo, Lucca, Marle, and himself.  
  
He remembered too.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Marle, Lucca! We've got to get out of here!" Crono exclaimed.  
  
"Thank God you remember! Come on!" Marle ordered.  
  
She, Crono, and Lucca followed her as she ran for the launching pad.  
  
"A traitor!" Baigor exclaimed.  
  
"I knew it wasn't the king all along!" Celik shouted.  
  
They ran after the group of three along with the rest of the group, except for Tijino, who had disappeared.  
  
"They're gaining on us!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
As she continued running an arm came out from on of the walls and grabbed her. The arm did the same to Crono and Lucca.  
  
"What are you...!" Marle shouted, but then she saw the Liujatron but his finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.  
  
It was Tijino.  
  
"Tijino!" Crono whispered harshly. "What are you doing here!"  
  
"My apologies, sir, but I believe I just saved your lives," Tijino answered.  
  
"Oh," Crono said. "Sorry Tijino. But why are you helping me? After what I did...tricking you all..."  
  
"Do you mean to say you meant to make fools out of us?" Tijino asked.  
  
"No...no...I didn't," Crono said.  
  
"Well, even if you had, it wouldn't have worked on me," Tijino said. "I knew you weren't King Zephatro all along. Your power is not even close to his."  
  
Crono planned to insult Tijino then, but the alien smiled and said, "You are much stronger."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, Tijino, whatever," said Marle. "That's not important right now. We've got to get out of here!"  
  
"Where are you going?" Tijino asked.  
  
"We're going to try to find a black hole near here. It will take us back to Earth...our home planet," Lucca explained.  
  
"I'll help you on one condition," Tijino said.  
  
"What's that?" Marle asked.  
  
The alien replied, "Take me with you."  
  
"But Tijino," Crono said, "why would you want to come with us?"  
  
"Because the Liujatrons are scared of my power, that they pretend to not recognize it," Tijino replied.  
  
"Sorry, Tijino, but what power?" Crono asked.  
  
"Crono, let me see your sword," Tijino said.  
  
Crono did so and Tijino did something completely unexpected.  
  
He shoved the sword through his own chest. Crono, shocked, pulled it right back out of Tijino's body.  
  
Tijino was certainly in pain, but still he stayed calm. Within a minute, the open wound in Tijino's body was completely gone.  
  
"What did you just..." Crono started to ask in awe.  
  
"I told you I was a healer," said Tijino. "The greatest white mage in all of Liuja. Perhaps the greatest in the universe."  
  
"Okay," Marle said. "You're coming with us."  
  
"Okay," Tijino said, "follow me."  
  
Tijino lead them around all the guards and scouts from both planets. They had been originally fighting against each other, but now they had joined forces to destroy Crono, Marle, Lucca, and perhaps Tijino.  
  
As he was leading them, Crono whispered, "By the way, my real name's Crono. And these are my friends Marle and Lucca."  
  
"Pleasure," Tijino whispered.  
  
Again they were depending on fate and fate alone. If fate was on their side they could make it out safely. So far there had been no errors. But an error in fate, like said before, could, no, would end the lives of them all.  
  
The four had reached the launch pad. They had found a fast cruiser and got into it.  
  
"This is great! Everything's going so smoothly," Tijino said. "We should be able to go any second now...oh great! We have to open the gates to get out! You stay here; I'll go."  
  
But as stubborn as the other three were, they followed him. "What are you doing?!" Tijino asked.  
  
"Listen," Lucca said. "If you get killed, there's no hope for us. But if we get hurt, you can heal us and we can escape. Understand?"  
  
Though Tijino obviously disagreed, he nodded his head in agreement.  
  
Tijino had led them to a red lever. They had been ducking so the armies of both planets would not see them. But then, Tijino's head hit something.  
  
It was the armor of Celik. He looked up and Celik and Baigor were standing by the switch.  
  
"Going somewhere?" Celik asked, grinning.  
  
"RUN!" Tijino shouted.  
  
They tried running back towards the main part of the building, trying to find an alternate way out.  
  
"LUMINAIRE!" shouted the Liujatrons.  
  
There had been an error in fate. 


	10. Rainbow Slash, Valkereye Flea, and Ozzie...

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 10:  
  
Rainbow Slash, Valkereye Flea, and Ozzie Omega  
  
"Magus..." Cyrus whispered. "Magus..."  
  
"Thy noble deed Magus hath done; taking his own life to save thou art," said Frog.  
  
"Magus dead. Crono, Marle, and Lucca probably dead too," said Ayla.  
  
"The only slight positive effect of this tragedy is that Lavos has no more minions," said Atropos.  
  
Robo replied to Atropos's statement, "We cannot defeat Lavos without Crono and Luminaire."  
  
The six sad heroes were now in a snowy flat land. Moping about their losses, they started walking towards Epoch.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" said a voice.  
  
"Last of Lavos's minions, eh?" said another.  
  
The heroes spun around to see a blue creature with a sword and another person who looked like a female with a bow.  
  
"Sir Slush!" Frog exclaimed.  
  
"The magician Flea, I presume?" Cyrus shouted.  
  
"That's Slash, you imbecile!" the blue person exclaimed.  
  
"Super Slash?" Robo asked.  
  
"Oh, no, my friend. I am Rainbow Slash!"  
  
"Yes," said Flea in a much higher voice then she usually used said, "and I am Valkereye Flea!"  
  
"I see you've finally excepted your femininity." Robo observed.  
  
"Yes, male, female, what's the difference? Beauty is power and I've got the power! Is that what I said one year ago. Or should I say 12,600 years later? Well, I certainly don't believe that anymore. Men are scum and power is beauty! I've got the beauty! Hmm...that new slogan needs some work," said Flea.  
  
"Shut up, Flea," said Rainbow Slash. "We haven't told them about our weapons yet. Witness the Rainbow Katana!" Slash pulled out his sword, which was not a Slasher, a Slasher 2, or a Slasher 3, but instead Crono's Rainbow weapon.  
  
"How you get Crono's fighting stick?" asked Kino.  
  
"Hah! Crono said he put it into storage. Don't you all know he lost it? Well, Lavos, our leader, claimed it for me!" Slash explained.  
  
"Yes! And the same goes for that Nadia girl!" Flea exclaimed.  
  
"Lavos gave an evil sense to Johnny, elements of Wind and Rain to Azala, strong fighters to the Frog King, controlled Magus, and gave you two the most powerful weapons in the universe!" Atropos exclaimed.  
  
"Well then, Glenn, Cyrus, to the death!"  
  
"Hi-ya!"  
  
Suddenly, there was a great duel between the four swordsmen. Soon enough, Kino pulled out what remained of his Aeon Blade and joined the fight.  
  
"Now, do you think you can stand up to the all mighty power of the Valkereye Bow?" Valkereye Flea asked.  
  
Soon enough, the girls and Robo were in their own fight. Ayla, who was known for her offensive skills, was actually blocking the party. Every time Flea shot arrows, Ayla, well, caught them with her teeth.  
  
"UZZI PUNCH!" Robo and Atropos yelled, using a multi-punch attack. Amazingly, Flea seemed to disappear whenever an attack was launched.  
  
Back with the swordsmen, the same kind of, no-one-is-winning-or-losing thing was going on. Swords continuously hit each other; no one could really tell which was which anymore. Eventually, they got it through their thick skulls that Kino had a stone blade (duh), Rainbow Slash had one that gave off a rainbow shine, and the to knights had broad blades.  
  
"Ugh, this isn't getting anywhere," a frustrated Rainbow Slash said.  
  
"We'll never finish this battle!" Valkereye Flea exclaimed.  
  
"Exactly!" This was a new voice. The group looked up and saw a green creature in perfect shape. He wore white pants and a vest, but no shirt underneath.  
  
But the voice.  
  
The voice seemed familiar to all of them, besides Atropos and Kino.  
  
"Despite Lavos's powers, you two are still weak! Dark Energy Beam!" said the creature as two black beams shot out of his outstretched hands, destroying Flea and Slash almost instantly.  
  
"Who...who art thou?" Frog asked.  
  
"You mean you really don't know? I suppose the change in my body is slightly different, but still, you must be able to tell!" the green creature exclaimed.  
  
"I you," said Cyrus. "I would know that voice anywhere. It's one of the last I heard...before I died."  
  
"You mean the lad is..." Frog said in disbelief.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen! May I introduce myself, Ozzie Omega!" said the green being.  
  
Instantly, Frog and Cyrus's weapons were not in their hands.  
  
"Stand back Ozzie!" Masa exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, stay away," said Mune.  
  
"So you're that Mystic fatty, eh?" Ein asked in amusement.  
  
"Heheheh." Lanzer laughed softly.  
  
"FATAL TORNADO!"  
  
"PHOTON SHINE!"  
  
Masa, Mune, Ein, and Lanzer then unleashed some of the most powerful magic in the universe. Masa and Mune hated Ozzie for an obvious reason: Ozzie was Magus's henchman, and Magus broke the Masamune. Now Ozzie had never done anything to harm Ein and Lanzer directly, but, even though the two swords despised each other, there was a special bond between the Elemental Weapons created by Melchior in the Dark Ages. The smoke left by the attacks started to clear.  
  
But Ozzie remained.  
  
Unharmed.  
  
Can our heroes defeat the newly super powered baddie?  
  
And if so, can they revive their friends?  
  
Or will there be yet another error in fate? 


	11. In the Pit of Hell

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any related names or titles. They are property of Square Soft.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 11:  
  
In the Pit of Hell  
  
Janus and his pet cat, Alfador, patrolled the halls of Zeal. Everything seemed to be going well. The scholars were researching and making Tabs. Everything seemed to be in perfect order in the kingdom of Zeal. But no one, not even a child as young and inexperienced as Janus would believe that.  
  
Schala ran through the halls of the palace, searching for her brother. When she saw the blue-haired child, she, though out of breath, exclaimed, "Janus! It...it's Mother! She's...she's...no time to explain! Hurry, we must go to the Guru of Life! Quick! Now!"  
  
* * *  
  
Schala encircled her and her brother in a glowing ball of energy, as they floated off towards the blue pyramid to the east.  
  
After that, Schala raised up the pendant around her neck. The blue light that the pyramid was made of absorbed itself into the Astral Amulet.  
  
Melchior, Guru of Life, noticed the two, and smiled. "Hello children. How are you today?"  
  
"Not so good, wise Guru. It's our mother..." said Schala.  
  
"Haha. Always your mother isn't it?" Belthasaur said, slamming his hammer onto a soon-to-be-sword. "What was it again? Oh yes, Lavar, Vosla, uh..."  
  
"Lavos. Lavos is the monster she intends to summon...as a key to immortality. And the key to Lavos is that silly contraption you've worked up there!" Schala exclaimed as she pointed towards the golden structure in the center of the room.  
  
"Ha! The Mammon Machine? Over my dead body..."  
  
"And I'm afraid that's what it will be," said Schala. "She will kill you if you do not let her have it."  
  
"Listen," said the Guru. "You, Schala, are the only with a key into this place. Not even I own one!"  
  
"The black wind howls, Melchior! You must destroy the Mammon Machine...now!" Janus exclaimed.  
  
The Guru replied, "Oh, young one...look around you...why would I give all this up...all of it? These...these weapons are my life's work, and they can only be powered by the Mammon Machine."  
  
The two Enlightened Ones searched around. There were two swords and a dagger.  
  
"They are mere weapons, wise Guru," said Schala.  
  
Melchior replied, "Hah! Each weapon has the souls, the spirits of two fallen angels. In fact, Ellaine and Doreen gave themselves to the sword you see there, now called the Eldoreen."  
  
"Melchior, we don't care right now about your silly toys!" Schala exclaimed.  
  
"I have one for you Schala," said Melchior.  
  
"Oh! Well...I'm sure there isn't any harm in that!" Schala exclaimed. "Which one is mine? The smallest one I suppose?"  
  
"Yes," said Melchior. "That is correct; the dagger, called the Makamars. As you may have guessed, Maka and Mars reside in the weapon."  
  
Janus then said, "Maka and Mars reducing themselves to such a week dagger? I don't believe it!"  
  
Melchior responded, "A dagger may be small, but it has the potential to be very powerful. Very much like you, Janus."  
  
Schala rolled her eyes and Janus blushed. They all knew that Janus had no power to speak of.  
  
"Agh!"  
  
"What is it Janus?" Schala asked, concerned.  
  
"That sword hurts my hand when I hold it; I sense the black wind in it," Janus said.  
  
"The Masamune? That's very interesting. It's the Shadow Weapon. Perhaps you'll have better luck with the Eldoreen, the Water Weapon? I would let you test out the Lightning Weapon, the Einlanzer, but I'm still working on it," Melchior explained.  
  
"That's all right Melchior. I would rather wield a scythe," Janus said.  
  
"Suit yourself," Melchior replied.  
  
Schala spoke up. "Melchior...is it possible for us to spend the night here? I don't feel safe in the palace with Mother storming about like that..."  
  
"Go ahead!" Melchior exclaimed. "Be my guest; stay as long as you wish."  
  
* * *  
  
"Melchior, you fool! Open the pyramid now!"  
  
It had been three days after when Janus and Schala escaped to the Guru of Life's smithy. Dalton, the power-hungry fool had been trying to get them out, under the order of the queen, for hours.  
  
"Quiet yourself, Dalton!" Janus yelled from within the blue pyramid. "Leave us alone!!!"  
  
Melchior, trying to hide his fear, smiled at the youth.  
  
Schala, in a far corner, walked up to where Janus was standing. "No, Janus," she said, "We must obey our mother's wishes." She lifted up her pendant and the blue light of the pyramid was slowly absorbed inside.  
  
"Janus," said Dalton, "you are to go into your room at this instant. Schala, Queen Zeal wishes to speak to you immediately. And you...you old fool...the queen has left your fate into the hands of me...hahaha!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Schala! Do you realize what this means? The world will be ours. No...the universe! And it all depends on that pendant of yours!" the queen exclaimed.  
  
"NO! I will only use my Astral Amulet will only be used as a way to help people!" Schala exclaimed.  
  
"You stupid girl! Don't you know that you will be helping people...you...me...US!" Queen Zeal exclaimed.  
  
"Stay away...you...you monster!!!" Schala screamed.  
  
"Oh, a monster am I? Listen, you are to go to the Mammon Machine, Melchior's creation, which has been moved to the palace, and power up that little pendant of yours! Then we shall awaken Lavos...and become the rulers of the universe!" Zeal exclaimed. "Melchior has been fed to Giga Gaia. Now we will use his prized creation to lead us to victory!"  
  
Janus and Alfador stood back behind the wall...listening to everything.  
  
Back then he knew nothing of the strange prophet...nothing of the boy who gave his life...nothing of the brave knight and the frog...  
  
Nothing of the monster that he would soon become...  
  
* * *  
  
"Where...where am I?" Janus asked staring at the strange new land around him, and the Blue Imps who had gathered.  
  
"Stand, back, you insolent fools!" said a much larger imp. This one was green though. "What's yer name kid?"  
  
"Er...Magil," said Janus.  
  
"Magil? What a wussy name..." said the tall imp.  
  
"Oh, yeah? Well what's your name then, green boy?" Janus asked with his attitude, as usual.  
  
"Oh, green boy, is Ozzie. Well, Ozzie isn't the one with the blue hair!" exclaimed the large creature.  
  
"Excuse me, are you talking about yourself in third person?" Janus asked, but not nearly as polite as it might look.  
  
"Ozzie doesn't know what you mean!" exclaimed the creature, obviously Ozzie.  
  
"Hahahaha! And YOU were just calling these flea bags insolent fools?!" Janus exclaimed, still extremely rudely.  
  
"You got spunk, kid. Ozzie likes that," said the ugly Ozzie. "From now on, you will be known as Magus!"  
  
Janus smiled as he repeated, "Magus...The Great Magus..."  
  
And, thus, the monster was born.  
  
* * *  
  
"Daddy, it's fun having all my favorite people here!" Nadia exclaimed once again at her mother's bed.  
  
"Nadia, please, Mommy is very sick right now," said the King.  
  
"Cough...it's all right dear...cough...cough..." said the dreadfully sick Queen.  
  
"If anyone should be gone, it's YOU Daddy! Hehehe! This SHOULD be a girl only zone!" Nadia innocently said.  
  
"You know, Nadia, it won't be too soon till you start liking boys!" the King said.  
  
"Cough...cough...cough!" Queen Aliza coughed up blood.  
  
"Darling! Darling, are you all right?" the King rushed to her aid.  
  
"She's coughing because a BOY is in the room! You're giving her coodies!" the young Princess Nadia yelled.  
  
"Cough...Someday when Nadia grows up...cough...cough," Aliza said.  
  
"Honey, we're here for you..." said the King, tears escaping his eyes.  
  
"Cough...she will bring her...ack...cough...beloved to meet you...achem...cough..." said the Queen, using the last bit of life she had. "Welcome him warmly. It will....ahem...cough...cough...be the day...cough...cough...you remember forever."  
  
With that, the Queen smiled at her daughter, and died.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hello, I'm Lara. And this is my daughter Lucca," said Lara.  
  
Lucca hid blushing behind Lara's leg.  
  
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ellis. And these are my two sons, Rhad and Crono," said Ellis.  
  
"Hi, Miz Lara, Lucca," said Rhad.  
  
His brother, Crono, did the same as Lucca, hiding behind Ellis.  
  
"Lucca, wouldn't you like to say hello to Crono and Rhad?" said Lara.  
  
"Hi, Rhad and Crono," Lucca nearly whispered, blushing much brighter than ever before.  
  
"Oh," said Ellis. Then she whispered to Lara, "Crono is well...handicapped."  
  
"Oh," said Lara. "Does he go to some sort of therapy?"  
  
"Oh, no, no, no, no, you see - "  
  
"My brother is not retarded!" Rhad exclaimed.  
  
"RHAD! Mind your manners!" Ellis exclaimed. Then she said back to Lara, "Crono can't talk...he's mute."  
  
"Oh, I see," said Lara. "I'm sorry I acted like..."  
  
"That's all right," said Ellis. "It's my fault. I really should be more clear, but just sometimes people think we're well, less-than-perfect...you know, having a child to love and care for...but he never talks back..."  
  
"Oh, well we're not the kind to judge. I'm sorry my husband Taban hasn't been here to meet you," Lara apologized.  
  
"Oh, well, would you like to come over and help us get settled?" Ellis asked. "I'd love to have you over. I'm sure my husband, Quinton, would love to meet you."  
  
Lara then said, "Wow, I've never heard that name before...not that's is strange or anything..."  
  
Rhad broke in, "It means, "from five." My name means "thunder," and Crono's means "through time."  
  
"Well," said Ellis with no sarcasm, "you sure are a very smart child..."  
  
Perhaps he was too smart...  
  
* * *  
  
Lucca and Crono were having the greatest time as they played at Leene's Square.  
  
"You're a great friend, Crono," said Lucca.  
  
Crono only smiled and blushed.  
  
"You're my only real friend, too... It's good, you know. To have a friend you can talk to, but they never say anything rude or mean back at you..."  
  
Crono nodded, understanding.  
  
"You might think that I hate having a friend like you sometimes, since you never talk back...but then you're wrong. But...I was just wondering...do you ever get tired of just listening...?"  
  
* * *  
  
Ellis screamed, "Stay back, you...you MONSTER!!!"  
  
"Why is it so much different now?!" Quinton exclaimed. "You already knew."  
  
"I thought you loved me...but now I know the truth...you want to destroy us...THAT'S WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO DO!!!" Ellis exclaimed.  
  
"I can't help who I am, Ellis," said Quinton.  
  
Ellis exclaimed, "How can I possibly be alive now...after having raised children with you! Leave Quinton...leave now...and never come back."  
  
Quinton stormed upstairs where Crono and Rhad were playing.  
  
"Arr...I am the dark wizard Magus! No one answers to me and lives!!!" Rhad exclaimed, as he and his brother were playing pretend.  
  
Crono gave two small punches at Rhad.  
  
"NOOOO! You've defeated me! ARGHHH!!!" Rhad exclaimed.  
  
Quinton, who was now in the room, said, "Rhad, you're coming with me."  
  
Rhad replied, "What are we doing, Daddy?"  
  
"We're going out for a light stroll," said their father.  
  
"Well," said Rhad. "Can Crono come with us?"  
  
"NO! COME WITH ME NOW! Say good-bye to your brother. We'll be right back!!!" Quinton exclaimed.  
  
"All right," Rhad sighed. "I'll see ya in half an hour, 'kay Crono?"  
  
Crono nodded.  
  
Crono would defeat Magus some day...  
  
But Rhad would never come back...  
  
* * *  
  
"MOMMY!"  
  
"CRONO!"  
  
"RHAD!!!"  
  
Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Tijino found themselves in a very hot place with blazes of fire everywhere.  
  
"Where...where are we?" Marle asked.  
  
"Are we...dead?" Tijino asked.  
  
"Dead..." Lucca repeated. "But shouldn't it be nice and peaceful...and we're on clouds?"  
  
"No..." said Crono. "We went...somewhere else..."  
  
"You mean we're in..." Tijino began.  
  
Crono cut him off. "Hell."  
  
"But...but...HOW?!" Marle exclaimed. "We're the good guys!"  
  
"Because..." said a voice. A shadowed figure walked upon the crimson hot ground and appeared to them. "You died with anger in your heart."  
  
"MAGUS!!!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Luminaire!" Crono shouted launching his ultimate attack at the wizard.  
  
Magus emerged from the smoke caused by Crono's attack. "Try as you might," he said. "It's hard to kill a dead man."  
  
"Why...what did you do?! Why did you attack us like that?!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"I was under the control of Lavos," Magus said. "Perhaps you would like me to explain it elsewhere. I've met some people you might recognize."  
  
Magus led them the hot horrible land of Hell. How could they have gone there? After all they were the good guys...could anger...could anger alone really do that...  
  
"So," said Marle, "did you see your life flash back before your eyes?"  
  
"Yeah..." said Crono, "yeah, glimpses, images I didn't want to see again."  
  
"Me too..." said Marle. "Me too..."  
  
"Hmm..." said Tijino. "Perhaps that is an experience only you humans experience. I instantly found myself here."  
  
"Well," said Lucca, "I had rather good memories...from when I met you, Crono...of course...there would have been a bad memory there...except..."   
  
Lucca remembered the Green Dream. Maybe if she had it equipped she would still be alive now.  
  
"Except what?" Marle asked.  
  
"Nothing...nothing at all..." said Lucca.  
  
"Hey, Tijino," Crono said, "do you think you can revive us from here?"  
  
"No...no..." sad Tijino. "I tried reviving myself before you appeared. It didn't work."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Here we are," said Magus. "Recognize 'em?"  
  
Before the group stood two elderly people dressed in animal skins.  
  
"AYLA! KINO!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Marle!" exclaimed Old Ayla.  
  
"Wait! I have an idea!" said Lucca. "Can you two tell us who won this fight against the Dark Force...or Lavos or whatever?"  
  
"I've tried asking them that," said Magus. "They don't remember a thing. This is obviously because they, in 12,000 BC, will go to their summoner mode, in which they can't remember a thing."  
  
"Anyway, Magus, tell us about Lavos," Lucca said.  
  
"Well, this Dark Force is Lavos, in some form or fashion. It's a human though...and he's trying to make another Lavos..." Magus explained.  
  
"Excuse me?" Crono asked.  
  
"I can't make much of it right now...it's all scrambled up in my mind..." Magus said.  
  
"That's all right," said Marle. "So you were being controlled by Lavos when you attacked us?"  
  
"Correct...a human Lavos..." said Magus.  
  
"So," said Tijino. "Is there anyway to see what's happening elsewhere right now?"  
  
"Yes, Tijino. That's how I know your name...simply close your eyes and focus on what you want to see," said Magus.  
  
"Yes," said Old Kino. "Close eyes."  
  
Old Ayla replied, "Shut up, Kino!"  
  
They all closed their eyes and saw the super-powered Ozzie fighting Frog, Cyrus, Ayla, Kino, Atropos, and Robo. He was doing very well, too. They quickly opened their eyes.  
  
"Is he being controlled?!" Lucca asked.  
  
"Yes...Lavos informed me I was the last of his minions, but he was lying. I have a plan though, how we can get rid of Lavos once and for all..." said Magus.  
  
"Really?" Marle asked.  
  
Magus smiled and said, "Yes. It's a little risky, but it might work. Naturally, all of us need to be revived to fight Lavos...since he is even more powerful than before."  
  
Lucca asked, "Magus! You and I both know that there is no way to get revived without a Time Egg or Tijino's reviving abilities."  
  
Magus replied, "Or the Orb of Life."  
  
"What!?" Crono exclaimed, pulling out the Orb. "THIS thing can bring people back to life?"  
  
"It's called the Orb of LIFE, Crono," said Marle.  
  
"Shut up," replied Crono.  
  
"There's a ketch," said Lucca. "All revival items-slash-abilities can only be used in the living world."  
  
"True," said Magus. "Partially true. Does anyone know another name for Hell?"  
  
"The Underworld?" Marle guessed.  
  
"WRONG!" Magus exclaimed. "Most people think that the Underworld is the same thing as Hell but they are very wrong indeed. Living dwarves rule the Underworld, while the dead occupy Hell. Both, however, are very close together, and Old Ayla, Old Kino, and I seem to have found a pathway to the Underworld. So...we..."  
  
"We get from here to the Underworld, through this dimension gap. Then we'll be in the living world, so we use the Orb of Life to revive us. Then the dwarves help us to get to the surface!" Lucca exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, but even so, Robo, Frog, and the rest will have gotten killed by Ozzie Omega by the time we got to the Overworld!" Marle exclaimed.  
  
"Yes," Magus said, "but close your eyes and tell me who out of our allies is doing the best."  
  
They closed their eyes and then reopened them. Marle replied, "Frog is, I guess."  
  
"EXACTLY!!!" Magus exclaimed. "You might not realize it, but when I turned him into a frog, his power was greatly reduced...haha...but I'm dead now..."  
  
"Which means..." Crono said with a smile a mile wide.  
  
"Yes, any second now," said Magus. "Our froggy friend will become Glenn...in human form! Becoming a frog actually helped that knight-wanna-be. Now, we can't get too cocky, but I think it'll work. Ozzie will be powerless against the human form of Glenn."  
  
"Yeah," Marle said. "But what will they do after that?"  
  
Magus replied, "It's up to Fate to decide."  
  
Author's Note: There were some MAJOR revisions in this chapter. One is the change of the swords. I had completely forgotten about the Einlanzer when I first wrote this, and I know it belongs to the Acacia Dragoons, but it'll get there sooner or later. The biggest revision is that Ozzie doesn't have revival powers. I originally planned for the 12 heroes (the Neo-Epoch has 12 seats) to be Crono, Marle, Lucca, Robo, Atropos, Ayla, Kino, Frog, Cyrus, Tijino, Magus, and Ozzie. Like he joined them or whatever after he brought Crono, Marle, Lucca, Magus, and Tijino back to life. But then there would be 2 reviving-powered characters and I don't want that. So, the 12th character I just thought up yesterday, and that (s)he would be perfect! Anyway, have fun reading! 


	12. Welcome to the Land of Summons

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV, or any other related names or titles. They are property of Square Enix.  
  
Author's Note: As you might have guessed from the previous chapter's reference to the Underworld, the title of this chapter, and the disclaimer, this fic is a CT-FF4j crossover. Don't worry; you need no knowledge of FF4j to understand what's going on. I just decided to give a certain character a unique background. MAKE SURE YOU'VE READ THE CURRENT VERSIONS OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS (especially Ch. 5 & 12)! I've changed them up quite a bit.  
  
Clouded by the Dark Force  
  
By Chrono Eternal  
  
Chapter 12:  
  
Welcome to the Land of Summons  
  
"Ayla, do you have the Silver Rock?" Robo asked.  
  
"Yes-um," Ayla replied. Frog, Robo, and Ayla nodded at each other.  
  
"Robo Tackle!"  
  
"Leap Slash!"  
  
"Tail Spin!"  
  
"SPIN STRIKE!" They all yelled as they performed a powerful Triple Tech ability.  
  
"Ayla! Through me-um rock!" Kino yelled.  
  
Ayla obeyed.  
  
"Yes let's hit him while he's down!" Cyrus exclaimed. "Nirvana Strike!"  
  
"Atropos Tackle!"  
  
"Head-um Spin!"  
  
"SPIN SLASH!" They yelled performing a very similar ability.  
  
Any regular foe wouldn't have survived the two powerful attacks. But clearly Ozzie with the powers of the Dark Force was NOT a regular foe. He emerged from the dust caused by the attack without a scratch.  
  
"Ha ha ha! Is that your best shot? Dark Energy Beam!" he yelled, using the same attack he had used on Rainbow Slash and Valkereye Flea. He wiped out the two robots instantly!  
  
"We hit him with-um strongest attacks!" Ayla suggested.  
  
Frog hoped that he could perform the same attack he did with Crono with Cyrus. "Slurp Cut!"  
  
"Nirvana Strike!"  
  
"X-THRUST!" Frog and Cyrus used a Dual Tech very similar to Crono and Frog's X-Strike.  
  
Ayla too hoped that she could use a Dual Tech with Kino that she had used with Crono. "Rock Throw!"  
  
"Spinslash!"  
  
"EAGLE HIT!" The attack had been very similar to Falcon Hit, only that Kino's sword was still broken from Blue Bellow's attack, the tech wasn't very affective.  
  
"Haha! Fools! Simple sword abilities can't hurt me. Dark Energy Wave!" This time Ozzie used a similar attack to his Dark Energy Beam, only it attacked the whole party. Frog and Ayla amazingly dodged it, but Kino and Cyrus were wiped out.  
  
"Ayla, thy Drop Kick!"  
  
Ayla nodded and shouted, "Triple Kick!"  
  
"Leap Slash!" Frog yelled, jumping high into the air with the Masamune rose high above his head. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a lightning bolt struck the sword.  
  
"What?!" Robo exclaimed. "My weather circuts don't indicate any signs of thunder showers..."  
  
The group instantly blamed lightning bolt on Ozzie and started attacking him left and right. Everyone was so infuriated that they didn't even notice that Frog was still high in the air, as if frozen in time. They didn't even notice the green-tinted light surrounding his body.  
  
"Nirvana Strike!"  
  
"Uzzi Punch!"  
  
"Dino Tail!"  
  
But to no avail...Ozzie Omega remained as if he hadn't even been touched.  
  
But then...  
  
"Leap Slash!"  
  
A streak of light seemed to come from the sky, crashing into the earth was such force that smoke and dust came into the air, making it hardly visible for anyone to see. After the smoke had cleared, everyone noticed that Ozzie was missing his left arm. Standing next to the green creature was a noble warrior, around twenty-years-old, with long green hair that looked as it hadn't been tended to in a long time. Strangely enough, the warrior was dressed exactly as Frog had been.  
  
"Frog?!" asked Kino.  
  
"The name's Glenn," replied the warrior.  
  
"It appears he's lost his Old English dialect," Atropos observed.  
  
"I don't care what your name is; you're still toast!" Ozzie Omega shouted as he sprouted another arm where the old one had been. "Dark Energy Bomb!"  
  
As soon as Ozzie cast the spell, Glenn, with the Masamune, deflected the dark ball of light right back towards the green beast, sending him backwards into a huge rock. Cyrus, Atropos, Robo, Kino, and Ayla stared in awe at their friend's new found power. It was almost impossible to believe that Frog would be this much stronger as a human.  
  
"Why you little...!" Ozzie Omega yelled in pain. "Dark Energy Swords!" Suddenly two swords of black light appeared in Ozzie's hands.  
  
"A swordfight? How stupid are you to challenge me in my own element...?" Glenn said. "But very well. En guarde!"  
  
FLASH!  
  
Before the swordfight even had begun, a Green Gate appeared around Cyrus. The weilder of the Einlanzer was getting sucked into the portal.  
  
"NO! I'm not losing you again!" Glenn yelled, turning around and running towards Cyrus. Instantly, Ozzie Omega hit Glenn with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. Glenn had gotten close enough to the portal that he too was being sucked in.  
  
"Frog!" Ayla yelled as she chased him into the portal, followed by Kino, Robo, and Atropos. The six friends had been sucked into the Green Gate just as it closed, leaving Ozzie behind.  
  
* * *  
  
Ayla, Kino, Robo, and Atropos awoke slowly. Only Glenn remained unconscious. Robo and Atropos instantly noticed that Ayla and Kino had that red glow to their eyes that they had whenever they were about to summon a monster.  
  
Atropos asked, "Where are we; none of the surrounding matter is familiar to me..."  
  
Robo replied, "We traveled through a Green Gate. Black Gates take you through time. Red Gates take you into your heart. Green Gates take you through dimensions..."  
  
"We are in the Land of Summons," said Ayla.  
  
"Indeed you are, but I want to know why," said a voice. Suddenly a green-haired maiden wearing green appeared.  
  
"So would we," said Kino. "Who are you?"  
  
"I," said the green-haired maiden, "am Rydia of Mist, Lady of Summons. Who are you?"  
  
"We are Ayla and Kino of the Ioka Tribe. And these are Prometheus and Atropos of Geno Dome," said Ayla.  
  
"And your friend lying face down on the floor there?" asked Lady Rydia.  
  
"This is Gl--"  
  
"Never mind. I don't care who he is," said Lady Rydia. "I just want to know why you are here."  
  
"We were dragged into the Green Gate with Cyrus the Warrior of Light," said Ayla.  
  
"You're friends of Cyrus?" asked Lady Rydia.  
  
"Yes; he travelled with us after we summoned him," explained Kino.  
  
"Yes, I can tell you're summoners like myself, because of that glow in your eyes," said Rydia. "Well, any summoners or friends of summoners are allowed to live here. However you will have to live here for the rest of your lives..."  
  
"THE REST OF OUR LIVES?!" Robo exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, Prometheus of Geno Dome. And remember that in the Land of Summons you age much more rapidly than you would in your world." Then Lady Rydia cracked her whip. "Sylph! Take these creatures to where they will be seeing."  
  
Suddenly several green fairy-like creatures appeared and picked up the five "creatures" and carried them off.  
  
* * *  
  
Cyrus walked into the quarters where Ayla, Kino, Robo, Atropos, and Glenn had been carried off to. Glenn still remained unconscious, but it had been confirmed by the Sylph faries that he would awake soon.  
  
"I see you've met Lady Rydia," said the Warrior of Light.  
  
"Yes...we've been sentenced to live here forever," replied Kino. "There's no hope in defeating Lavos now..."  
  
"It doesn't matter...without Crono or Magus we could never defeat him anyway..." said Robo.  
  
"So we just give up?" said Ayla. "Isn't it still our duty to try and save the world?"  
  
"There might be away..." Cyrus said softly.  
  
"What?" asked Kino. "What is it?!"  
  
"No...it's too dangerous..." replied Cyrus.  
  
"Tell us Cyrus!" Ayla demanded.  
  
"YOU WOULD DIE!" Cyrus exclaimed.  
  
"Then have Atropos and I do it! We can't die!" Robo exclaimed.  
  
"No...only Ayla, Kino, and Glenn could do this task. And Glenn is in no position to do so," said Cyrus.  
  
"What's two people then Cyrus?" asked Kino. "If we don't do something much more people than two will die."  
  
"They would die anyway!" Cyrus exclaimed. "Don't you understand?! If you stay here you will live. You would stay in summoner form forever and the rapid age increasing wouldn't affect you horribly. And I'm a summon who has already died so it won't affect me. And Glenn is a summoner as well. And age would never cause Robo and Atropos's deaths. You are safe here. If you just remain inactive, you will remain alive for an incredible amount of time, instead of being active here, and then going into your regular, non-summoner forms and dying in an instant."  
  
"I don't understand..." said Ayla.  
  
"Look," said Cyrus. "In the Land of Summons, normal people age rapidly. Summoners will not. You two have a 'summoner' mode and a 'regular' mode, if you will. In your summoner form, the time stream here will not affect you. However, the 'regular' mode inside of you is aging extremely rapidly. If you remain here, it doesn't matter. But if you return to your normal world, and your 'regular' mode, then you could end up 94 years old or older. And if you use a lot of energy here, it will cause ENORMOUS strain on your 'regular' body, so if you return to it, you will die instantly. And this task that you would have to do to get out of here requires a lot of energy."  
  
"So?" asked Kino.  
  
"You really don't care...?" said Cyrus. "You'd be willing to die trying to save the people of Earth that will die anyway, than stay here and being safe...?"  
  
"Yes," said Ayla.  
  
"Okay, fine..." said Cyrus. "You'll have to challenge Lady Rydia to a summoning battle, a battle in which you summon monsters to fight instead of using fists or regular magic. Sounds easy enough, right? Well it's not. What summons have you learned? Arame-the Severe Dactyl, Tortonious-the Great Turtle of the Sea, and myself-the Warrior of Light. But Rydia...she knows Ifrift, Shiva, Ramuh, Titan, Leviatan, Bahamut, the list goes on and on. Still up for it?"  
  
"Definately," said Kino.  
  
"Where can we find Rydia? I want to challenge her now," said Ayla.  
  
"You're sure about this? Yes...of course you are...no use trying to change you rmind... I'll take you to Rydia now..." said Cyrus.  
  
* * *  
  
"You're foolish to challenge Lady Rydia," said Asura, Queen of Summons.  
  
"I think they should have the battle, myself," said Leviatan, the King.  
  
"I hope you know what you're getting into," said Rydia. "As much as I'd like to destroy you cave people, I still have honor."  
  
"Believe me," said Cyrus. "They know what they're getting into."  
  
"All right then..." said Rydia. "Here are your summoning whips."  
  
Instantly, Ayla and Kino found whips in their hands. Just as quick, they were in a large colosseum. There were zillions of summon monsters in the stands, and Rydia, Ayla, and Kino were in the actual arena.  
  
"All right, the rules are the following: You can only use three summon monsters. When the three monsters are unable to battle, then their summoner is the loser. You can only use one summon at a time. You cannot physically fight your opponent, or use any basic magic. Let's begin!" said Rydia.  
  
"I guess I'll take it easy on you at the beginning," said the Lady of Summons. "CHOCOBO!" she yelled as she cracked her whip. Soon after, a large yellow bird appeared.  
  
"This should be easy enough," said Ayla.  
  
"ARAME THE SEVERE DACTYL!" Ayla and Kino yelled when cracking their whips. This was the first monster Kino and Ayla had ever summoned. The huge Dactyl flew over Rydia and the Chocobo and unleashed a huge ball of fire from it's mouth.  
  
"Nice try!" said Rydia. Before the fireball had even hit Rydia or her monster, the Chocobo flew up towards the prehistoric beast and delivered a devistating kick that knocked Arame out of the sky. Rydia, being so nimble, dodged the fireball with more than enough time before the fire would have hit her.  
  
"Amazing!" said Atropos from the stands. "Such a small bird compared to its opponent...but still conquering with just when kick!"  
  
"CYRUS WARRIOR OF LIGHT!" yelled Ayla and Kino cracking their whips.  
  
"I expected this," said Cyrus to the two robots on the stands with him. He soon disappeared and then reappeared next to the prehistoric summoners.  
  
"Nirvana Strike!" he yelled, using his special attack, wiping out the Chocobo.  
  
"Very good. Now try this! MIST DRAGON!" Rydia yelled, once again cracking her whip. Suddenly a huge dragon appeared, but it seemed to be made only of mist. "You can defeat something that's not solid with your sword, Cyrus."  
  
"Haha! This is too easy. You underestimate the power of my sword! For it can fight with non-solid attcks as well! Ein! Lanzer!" yelled Cyrus.  
  
Suddenly, the two spirits of the Einlanzer appeared. "PHOTON LIGHT!" they yelled, using their powerful attack. Mist Dragon, being gravity-based was defeated instantly.  
  
"I'll admit I'm impressed that you've come so far," said Rydia. "But you can NEVER defeat the most powerful summon of all! BAHAMUT! Use MegaFlare!" Rydia yelled, whipping the air.  
  
A huge dragon instantly appeared, launching multiple fireballs rapidly towards Cyrus and the sword spirits. They were knocked out almost instantly.  
  
"CYRUS!" yelled Kino.  
  
"Don't worry; he'll be okay," said Ayla. "Bahamut must be fire-based. Luckily, the only other monster we can summon is water-based."  
  
Rydia quickly responded, "Don't even try to summon the Great Turtle of the Seas. You might notice by it's title it has to be in WATER to be actvie. I guess you give up then!"  
  
"I don't think so!" said a new character in the arena. Glenn!  
  
"Glenn! You're in no condition to fight!" Kino exclaimed.  
  
"Glenn...?" Rydia asked almost unaudiably.  
  
"I heard you needed a water-based summon that can fight out of water. Luckily, I have one handy. And the weaker I am, the more powerful IT will be," said Glenn. "Frog Squash!" he yelled, summoning a huge, glowing, rainbow colored frog, known as the Frog Prince. It was high in the air, ready to pounce on Bahamut. Then, it started to attack.  
  
"MegaFlare!" Rydia yelled, commanding Bahamut.  
  
"Don't even try Rydia of Mist, you've lost!" Ayla exclaimed.  
  
"Rydia of Mist...? FROG PRINCE DON'T ATTACK!" Glenn yelled.  
  
The Frog Prince could have easily beaten Bahamut if it continued attacking, but Glenn for whatever reason called it off, and Rydia was the winner.  
  
"Glenn! We could have won! Why did you call off the Frog Prince?!" Kino exclaimed.  
  
"I didn't want to hurt the other summoner..." said Glenn.  
  
"The summoners can't be hurt; only the summons can!" Ayla said.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry..." said Glenn.  
  
"But we could have won our freedom. Just why were you so concerned about hurting the enemy?!"  
  
"Because," said Glenn, "if that truly is Rydia of Mist...then...the enemy is my sister." 


End file.
